Dating A Diva
by MistyEyes
Summary: Kai is a famous rock star, Tyson is the obligatory fanboy. Sparks are going to fly. [Tyka]
1. Celebrity Crush

Haha! It's me again (the village idiot), with another tale to spin for you lovely people. This was written almost entirely on impulse. o.O The idea just popped into my head quite suddenly one day, and I found it so amusing that I had to write it. I didn't think it would actually develop itself into something that I could continue and share, which is why the beginning of this (actually, it's more like all of it) is very nondescript and kind of coarsely written, I suppose. It gains some speed at the end, but I promise as Tyson and Kai interact more, it'll get less boring! So, I hope you'll give it a shot and after that if you think it totally sucks, well, tell me in a review. Enjoy, lovelies.

**Warnings:** Nothing, really. Obviously it's going to be shounen-ai, but it'll be sweet and fluffy. Um… Tyson's gonna say sexy a lot… and there may be some sexual references. I'm rating this PG-13 simply because I don't want this fic to be deleted again. Hopefully I won't have to rate it R _just_ to keep it on this site, so like… don't report me! I've given you your warnings. XD This is AU, by the way.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Beyblade or any of these characters.

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

"The ticket window is open! Be caller number four right now and win!" The prerecorded message blared from the radio set at the maximum volume it could muster. Hilary sat at the kitchen table watching her friend Tyson madly press the speed dial button. He stuck the phone to his ear and crossed his fingers.

"Come on, come on!" he chanted. It rang twice before he heard a voice on the other end.

"Hey, who's this?"

"Tyson! Tyson Kinomiya! Did I win?"

"Well, well, Tyson, it's your lucky day. You're caller number four!"

"I WON!" he yelled at Hilary. "Oh my God, I won! I can't believe this! I've been trying for three days now and I finally—"

"Congratulations, sir! You've just picked up a pair of tickets with backstage passes to the sold-out Kai Hiwatari concert, and just in time! It starts tonight at eight."

"Yes! Thank you so much!" Tyson gushed. Hilary rolled her eyes as Tyson proceeded to give them his address and information, and then hung up. He turned to her with a huge grin on his face. "Can you believe this? I'm actually going to get to meet Kai in person. Me! Okay, what am I gonna wear?"

"Tyson, don't you think you're being too extreme? I mean, he's just a person," Hilary said reasonably. Tyson turned to her, his eyes wide.

"Just a person? _Just a person?_ Hilary, I don't think you understand. Kai Hiwatari is not just a person. He is a _rock legend."_

"Elvis is a rock legend. Kai's only been famous for about a year or so. You don't become a legend in a year," she pointed out, arching a brow at Tyson. He stuck out his tongue.

"He's a legend in my book. But besides the fact that he can sing, dance, and play numerous musical instruments, he's the sexiest man alive."

Hilary snorted. "You have issues."

"Me and the other million people who think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread." Tyson grinned dopily. "But you _are_ coming with me, right? Maybe seeing him in the flesh will change your mind."

"I doubt that, but yeah, I'm coming with. Really, Tyson, these rock stars are always so overrated. They turn out to be mean, self-righteous jerks."

"Kai is not self-righteous!"

She raised an eyebrow. "And you know this, how…?"

"You can just tell by looking at him! And have you ever even read his lyrics? They're so deep and meaningful. A bastard would not be able to write like that."

"How do you even know he writes his own lyrics?" she demanded.

"It says so right here," Tyson said, sticking Kai's self-titled debut album in her face. She snatched it away and flipped through the pages of the lyrics.

"Written by Kai Hiwatari," she read, unconvinced. "Yeah, I'm a total believer, now."

"Good. Now help me pick out something to wear."

* * *

_"Where_ is Kai?" Michael bellowed, his voice carrying down the hall. People bustled past him, and he gritted his teeth at the lack of attention he received around the place. Being Kai's manager had next to no perks. The twenty-seven year old stomped down the hall to Kai's private room and was stopped by Tala, who put a finger to his lips and shushed him annoyingly. 

"Would you stop yelling? Kai's taking a nap," Tala informed him disdainfully. Michael's eyebrow twitched.

"A nap? _Now? _Is he not aware of the fact that he's putting on a concert tonight? He has to practice!"

"Um, yeah, he knows that," Tala stated. Michael took a deep breath to calm himself, then pushed past Tala and knocked twice on Kai's door before opening it. He stuck his head inside and put his hands on his hips with a frown on his face.

Kai was perched in front of his mirror, intently filing his nails. He caught Michael's reflection and turned his head slightly. Michael scowled.

"I thought you said he was taking a nap," he said to Tala accusingly.

"I woke up," Kai said. Michael took off his baseball cap and ran a hand through his silky orange tresses with a sigh. Replacing his hat, he looked at Kai again. He sniffed the air suddenly.

"Kai…"

"What?"

"I can smell that."

"Smell what?"

Michael stomped into the room and stood beside the young singer. "Where is it?" he demanded.

"Where is what?"

"Don't play stupid with me, Kai! I've known you since you were in diapers; you can't lie to me. And you _know_ you're not supposed to be eating chocolate. Especially now! You have a performance tonight. Hand it over."

Kai let out a soft sigh before pointing to his bed. Michael walked over and pulled the covers down, then looked underneath the pillow.

"An entire box! How many did you eat?"

Tala sauntered to Kai and shook his head. "Bad boy."

"Get me a smaller box next time," Kai whispered. Michael picked up the expensive sampler and stalked out, muttering under his breath. Tala floated after him.

Kai settled back down in his seat and was just about to resume filing his nails when there was another knock at the door, and it opened. Kai muttered a curse, wondering why they even bothered to knock if they were going to come in anyway. A girl with bright carroty hair and large round glasses came in with a clipboard in hand.

"Michael wants you in the sound room," she said. Kai heaved another sigh and stood.

"I'll be there in a minute."

"He specifically told me to tell you to come right away. And tell the others."

"I'm going," he said grumpily. "I swear, Michael needs to get a life."

She shrugged and walked out. Kai wandered into the hallway and headed for the sound room where he was sure Michael would give him a lengthy speech about nothing. He found Tala hanging around nearby and dragged him with him. He entered and Michael turned around right away, giving him a look.

"You look tired," he said.

"I look bored," Kai corrected.

"All right, sit down. I think a few reminders are in order."

Kai sat and rested his cheek against one hand, his eyes already glazing over before Michael even started. Tala wandered to the other side of the room and kicked his feet up on the table, resting his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. Kai scowled, envious.

"Now, Kai, you know that every one of your concerts are very important," Michael began. Kai nodded. "There are a lot of people out there who are expecting to see the famous Kai Hiwatari in action. You cannot disappoint them."

"I won't. Have I ever?"

Michael ignored him. "I hope you know that there are millions of people out there who wish they could be in your shoes. You are very lucky to have come this far, Kai. They don't have half the talent you do."

"Mm." _I bet they get to eat chocolate whenever they want. _

Michael eyed the younger boy. "And tonight I want you to dance around in a clown suit and kiss Emily in front of all your fans."

"Yep."

"Kai!" Michael stuck his face close to his. "You're not listening!"

Kai blinked. "I am. Uh… I missed that last thing."

Michael gritted his teeth. "I hope you know that you're downright exasperating sometimes. If you had anyone else for a manager, I'm sure they wouldn't put up with this kind of behavior."

"Hm. I'll think about that," Kai said disinterestedly.

"Anyway, listen up. There are some people with backstage passes for this concert, so afterwards you'll get to meet them and show them around and stuff."

"Great."

"Don't sound so excited," Michael said sarcastically. Kai frowned.

"It's always teenage girls who get their hands on those passes," he complained. "They gush, they squeal, they tell me they love me—"

"What'd you expect? They're called adoring fans for a reason," Michael pointed out. Kai blew out his breath irritably.

"Do I even _have_ any male fans?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Quite a few."

Kai gave him a look. "Well, why aren't _they _coming to meet me?"

"They're probably too shy. You know how it is with these people… would you go meet your famous crush and squeal all over them? They think they have an image to uphold."

"Well… damn."

Michael waved it off. "Anyway, I want to hear you practice a bit before tonight."

Kai looked around vaguely. "I feel like we're missing something…"

"Yeah. The rest of your band, you moron," Tala piped up. "Emily said _you_ were supposed to tell them to meet us here."

"Oh. Well, I didn't." Kai shrugged. Michael glared at him. As he was picking up his phone, the door opened and Emily stuck her head in.

"Everyone's here. I knew Kai wouldn't get around to telling them, so I took the liberty to get them myself," she said. Michael smiled.

"Thank you, _Emily,_" he said, glaring at Kai. Tala stood up and wandered over to him as the remaining members came in. Kai watched without much interest. Oliver entered first, their slightly eccentric keyboardist and synthesizer player. He was known for his odd fashion sense and was partial to long, expensive coats and feathery hats. He greeted Kai and brushed a sleek lock of his green hair away from his face.

_"Bonjour!"_ he sang out happily. Kai smiled thinly. Oliver was French and could be quite annoying at times, but Kai couldn't argue with the fact that he was extremely talented once put in front of a piano. Enrique followed after him, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. He played the bass guitar and was generally a laid-back person. Everyone knew that he'd liked Oliver for years, but the French boy seemed to enjoy letting him tag along like a puppy, and Enrique didn't appear to mind.

"Hey," he said in greeting.

"We're all here," Kai said monotonously. Tala nudged him. "Oh, wait. Where's Rei?"

"It's nice to see how you know your members so well," Michael said sardonically to Kai. They waited for a moment. Enrique popped his gum loudly.

"Did he come with you?" Kai questioned finally. Enrique nodded and Oliver peered out the door.

"Rei! Get in here!" Oliver yelled.

"He's flirting with Mariah again, isn't he?" Tala asked. Mariah was Kai's chief fashion designer. Though looking at her own bright pink wardrobe for more than five minutes gave him massive headaches, she was a genius when it came to dressing other people. He heard giggling in the hallway before Rei appeared, all smiles. He thought Mariah was cute and she thought he was amazing because he could play the drums.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Thanks for deciding to join us," Michael said dryly.

"Now we're all here," Kai stated.

"Boy, you're sharp," Tala commented.

And so, practice began.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm actually going to get to meet him this is so cool _oh my God!"_

"Tyson! If you don't start behaving like a normal human, I'm leaving. You're embarrassing me," Hilary snapped. Tyson whined for a moment, then stopped when he realized that Hilary was ignoring him. They were standing outside, waiting in line to hand in their tickets. Tyson and Hilary had gone through everything in his closet before Tyson declared that he had absolutely nothing fit to wear for the concert. So, they had gone shopping and now Tyson was satisfied with his new outfit.

"You know, those jeans look exactly like the ones hanging in your closet," Hilary said. "That stupid red jacket, too."

"Hey! They're completely different," Tyson said, crossing his arms. "Why would I buy something that I already own?"

Hilary shook her head. "Maybe because you've been out of your mind since you won those tickets? No, wait, you've been crazy since you discovered Kai Hiwatari. I mean, honestly, Tyson, I can understand idolizing a celebrity, but this is ridiculous. You take it to a whole new level."

"You think he'll notice?" Tyson asked.

"Shut _up._" Hilary said. "What row are our tickets on?"

"The third!" Tyson squealed, going hyperactive again. Hilary sighed impatiently.

"You put his fangirls to shame," she muttered. "And that is _not_ a compliment." She glared.

The line moved up and Tyson made conversation with another overzealous fan until they were at the front. They handed over their tickets and he practically bounced inside and up to the third row with Hilary dragging her heels behind him. The place was already packed with bodies dancing to the pre-concert music, and Tyson joined them with an elated grin on his face.

"I'd better get something good out of this," Hilary mumbled grouchily, sliding into a chair.

* * *

"All right, Kai, hold still," Mariah said, carefully leaning over him while applying black eyeliner to his lids. She had been primping him for ten minutes now and Kai was sure Michael was ready to throw a fit. Just as soon as the thought left his mind, the door banged open loudly, causing a startled Mariah's hand to jerk. 

"Oh!"

"ARGH!" Kai clapped a hand over his left eye. _"Mariah!"_

"I'm sorry!" She turned around and glared at Michael. "Look what you made me do. He's supposed to be onstage in less than fifteen minutes, you lout! Don't come barging in here like that."

"Is he okay?" Michael asked.

"My eye…" Kai moaned. "She stabbed me."

"Oh, hush," she said, slapping his hand away and examining his eye. "It's a little red and watery, but that'll pass."

"We cannot have a red-and-watery-eyed-Kai perform out there." Michael said. Mariah pointedly ignored him and dabbed his eye with a pink Kleenex. She gently wiped away the makeup that was streaked below his eye. Kai winced.

"Now, if you'll hold still once more, you'll be ready to go," Mariah said, bringing up the eyeliner pencil again. Kai groaned, but obeyed. She finished with no casualties and stepped back to admire her work.

"You look absolutely ravishing," she said with a beaming smile. Kai scrunched up his left eye and blinked awkwardly.

"Can you see?" Michael asked with a frown.

"You're blurry."

"I told you, you'll be fine! Just wait a few minutes," Mariah snapped impatiently, shoving him out of his chair. "Get out. You're all done here."

Kai muttered under his breath as he stalked out of his dressing room. Tala was waiting outside.

"Hey, I heard you yell. What happened?" Tala peered closer. "And what's wrong with your eye?"

"Mariah stabbed me with her eyeliner," Kai grumbled. Tala stifled a laugh as Kai shot him a glare. He began to whistle innocently as they walked down the hall to meet the rest of the band.

"How's the crowd?" Kai asked finally. Tala grinned and gave him a thumbs up signal.

"It's full. Man, those people out there are screaming your name already." He clasped his hands together dramatically and spoke in a high-pitched voice. "Kai, I love you! Kai, you're so cool! Kai, will you marry me?"

"No, thanks."

Tala gave him a sly look. "You know, Kai, it's a shame a guy like you doesn't have a girlfriend."

"And where's _your_ girlfriend, you hypocritical snake?"

"Which one?" The redhead winked. Before Kai could respond, Michael came up behind them and began moving them hurriedly along.

"Get backstage _now! _Come on, they're all waiting for you guys," he hissed. Kai sighed and allowed himself to be dragged along by Tala. Enrique was lounging around on an empty crate behind the curtains with Oliver standing next to him in a feathery black coat and a hat to match. Enrique was dressed casually, as usual. Rei kept peeking through the curtains.

"We've got quite a crowd tonight," Rei said with a grin, his teeth glinting. "I'm sure our front man won't be a disappointment?"

"Whatever," Kai said.

"All right guys, take your places. We're opening the curtain soon." Michael watched them as they went to their respective instruments. Kai walked to the microphone at the front and fingered it for a moment before looking back at Michael with a keen smile.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Hilary! It's about to start," Tyson said excitedly, grinning from ear to ear beside her. She nodded uninterestedly. The music stopped and the crowd hushed slightly, save for the whistles and excited chatter that hung over the room. Soft piano music began playing. 

"That's Oliver. He's Kai's keyboardist, but he's also a genius on the synthesizer," Tyson said in a rush. Hilary looked at him.

"What, have you got his entire band memorized?"

"Of course! Hush, you're ruining the mood."

A huge wave of music suddenly blasted throughout the room and simultaneously, the curtains parted. The crowd went wild as fans began screaming, Tyson no exception. Hilary snorted and focused on Kai to see what was so great about him that had Tyson so smitten.

"It's him!" Tyson squeaked, grabbing her arm. She wrenched it away in disgust.

"What's your deal, Kai Hiwatari?" she muttered. "You've turned my friend into a crazy psycho."

Tyson stopped and just stood still, watching. The surging crowds around him went unnoticed as his eyes fixed upon his latest and deepest celebrity crush. The band was playing the song that had swept through the radio waves for weeks, holding the top spot over and over again. Kai hadn't even opened his mouth yet, but Tyson felt his insides melt as he gazed at him.

"Sexy, sexy, sexy," he chanted dreamily. "This is so cool…"

The music was echoing in his eardrums. Tyson knew every note by heart. He grinned in anticipation for Kai to start singing. He watched as the young vocalist lifted his head and smiled in a way that made Tyson feel as if he were the only person on earth. Then his face grew serious as he closed his eyes briefly and began the song.

People were screaming everywhere. The whole placed practically rocked with the dancing of hundreds of bodies, and combined with the beat that Tyson could feel in his kidneys, it was a general riot. Even Hilary couldn't bring herself to slouch down with a grumpy look on her face. She had to admit that Kai's band was really good, and Kai himself was putting on an outstanding performance. He wasn't like some of the other tattooed rock bands she'd heard lately who were convinced all you had to do to win fame was scream incoherently into a microphone and then begin trashing your instruments. Kai had an amazing voice and definitely knew how to perform.

Tyson threw his hands up in the air and began jumping up and down, belting out the lyrics himself along with everyone else. He was beyond joyful at the fact that the only thing separating Kai and him were two rows of seats, but no one was sitting down and Tyson imagined himself climbing over them and rushing onstage with a goofy grin. He glanced around and spotted concert security spread near the stage and decided that he would be better off just enjoying Kai's music from his current vantage spot. The song went on for a good five more minutes before it came to a smashing end, complete with Rei performing a masterful rollover on the drums. Hoots and applause were heard throughout the room. Tyson watched Kai wait for the loud ruckus to die down. He cleared his throat.

"Good evening and thanks for coming tonight," he began, his magenta eyes going over the sea of people before him. Tala's guitar emitted a loud screech at that moment, and he fumbled for a second before looking up and seeing Kai's glare.

"Oh. My bad," he said with a shrug. Kai could practically see Michael slapping his forehead behind the stage. Oliver adjusted his hat and tugged his dainty gloves up at the wrists. Kai turned back to the crowd and rested one hand on his microphone, which he had placed back on the stand.

"The next song I'm gonna sing for you guys is one of my personal favorites. It's kind of a slow song, and it's about someone really special to me, but I don't know who. I haven't met _that _person yet."

Tyson had stars in his eyes. "His words are so deep!" he said to Hilary. She frowned.

"Well, this is new. Here's a rock star who actually admits that he's never been in love before."

Rei struck up a soft tempo with Enrique joining him on his guitar while Oliver switched to the synthesizer, and gentle chimes graced the room. Kai took a breath and in a moment, his clear voice had the entire room mesmerized.

Tyson gazed up with adoration in his eyes. He knew he was being crazy at the level he took his crushing to, but even if Kai hadn't been drop-dead gorgeous, Tyson would still be one of his biggest fans, for the simple fact that just by watching him, his passion for what he did was plainly obvious. An idiot could see that Kai loved singing, that his emotion came straight from the heart.

The music increased, as did Kai's singing. Tyson sighed in contentment.

"I can't wait until I actually get to _meet_ him…"

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Well, since writing out every bit of Kai's concert would be pretty repetitive, I decided to stop here. :D I hope I didn't confuse anyone with who all everyone is. As I said before, this is AU, so I'm just grabbing characters and giving them roles. Tell me what you thought. 


	2. Backstage

Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter and hopefully the rest of it won't disappoint you. Anyway, a few reminders—this is an AU fic and it involves shounen-ai, so if that isn't your cup of tea, escape while you still can. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Michael let out a huge sigh of relief as the concert came to an end and the crowd erupted into hoots and applause. Kai had given off a spectacular performance, as did the rest of his band. He heard them thanking their guests and smiled proudly. _Now the only thing I have to worry about is Kai and his backstage visitors. _

He frowned slightly. Kai wasn't exactly a people person when it came to squealing girls. He envisioned an image of Kai losing his temper in frustration at their empty-headedness and—

"Hey." Emily came up behind him and placed a hand on his arm. She rolled her eyes when she saw his face. "Would you stop worrying about Kai's success so much?"

"I'm not worrying." She gave him a look, and he squirmed. "Okay, maybe I am, but not without just cause! I just want everything to go perfect."

"That's great, but you have to remember that Kai's only nineteen—he's really still a teenager. Do you ever think about that?"

Michael looked sheepish. "Not really, I guess."

"You should. He loves what he does, but don't make the mistake of driving him away. I know you thrive on pressure, but not everyone's like that. You've got to make more of an effort to let him lead the most normal life possible." She raised her eyebrows.

"But that's just it—he's not normal. He's famous! He's got the eyes of the world on him, and he has an image to uphold."

"But he's still a kid."

"Yeah, yeah, but he has fame and fortune. What could he possibly be missing?"

"_Friends. _All of his old ones left him when he got a record deal except Tala, and on his schedule he doesn't get out enough to make new ones. Not to mention that he's a young man with growing… desires, if you know what I mean."

"Well, tell him to meet some nice woman."

Emily shook her head and flicked a finger against Michael's nose. "Like he can with the hours you make him work."

Michael scrunched up his face. "Please, the kid's lazy as hell. You should see him when I give him a simple task. Three hours later he _might_ think about starting it."

She smiled and shrugged before giving his arm a squeeze and walking away. "Just think about it," she called over her shoulder. Michael grunted in response before Oliver came skipping up, followed by Rei and Enrique. Tala and Kai tailed behind.

"How were we? We were fantastic!" Oliver said delightedly. Michael grinned.

"You guys were great. And Kai? Your performance was nothing short of amazing," he said. "Was that crappy sound check you gave me your idea of a joke? Do you enjoy making me crazy?"

"Thanks. It's a hobby of mine." Kai unclasped the choker around his neck and rubbed his skin just as Mariah flew in.

"Put that back on! Your backstage visitors will be here in minutes," she snapped, dragging him off to the side to fix him up again. "Gracious, you're sweating like a stuck pig."

"Why don't _you _try going out there and see how well you fare," Kai muttered, pushing his damp bangs away from his face. "The lights are hot."

"I would imagine they like seeing you like this, in any case," she mused. "Your eyes look smokier and it gives off a very sexy image."

"Smokier my ass. Your eyeliner melted." Kai frowned.

"Oh, hush. Kai Hiwatari, I swear, you are the whiniest person I know," she stated while fanning his face busily. Kai stared at her incredulously, his soft hair fluttering around.

"Isn't he?" Tala said with a wink. Kai chose to ignore him. Michael watched the young singer intently, Emily's words going through his mind.

"Hey, Kai, you have a photo shoot tomorrow," he said.

"Okay."

"Uh… was there anything you wanted to do that day? Did you have plans?"

Kai glanced at him. "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know what you guys do these days. Maybe you wanted to go out and see some of your friends?" Michael ventured timidly. Tala winced and raised his eyebrows. Kai was glaring at Michael, who was slightly confused at the harsh reaction he was receiving for trying to do something nice.

"No, I didn't have any plans to go see my friends," Kai said coldly, animosity sparking in his magenta gems. "I'll do the photo shoot, okay?"

Michael was taken back. "Ah… okay…"

Kai turned to Mariah and excused himself before stalking off irately. Michael watched him go, perplexed. Tala clucked his tongue.

"Smooth move," he commented.

"What set him off?" Michael asked. Tala sighed.

"Well, past acquaintances are sort of a sore spot for him," Tala explained. "When he got noticed for his singing, our friends kind of ditched him, saying that it would all go to his head and he'd start thinking he was better than them and stuff, which he never did, even though I'd say that they deserve to be treated that way by him."

"I see," Michael said softly. "What about you? Did they ditch you, too?"

"No. Only him."

"Huh. Well, they obviously weren't very good friends."

"I'd say. Kai was pretty hurt over it, though. He doesn't talk about it and I'd advise you not to ask."

"Well, I've known Kai since he was a little kid—"

"Michael, seriously. Don't bring it up," Tala said gently. "He wants to forget. Why do you think he hasn't told you?"

Michael paused before nodding. "Fine. Not to sound callous or anything, but Kai doesn't have time to go and brood right now. The guests with the backstage passes must be waiting."

Tala checked his watch. "Yep… someone should probably go after him, now."

"Go!" Michael pointed and Tala flounced off in search of his friend.

* * *

_Stupid Michael. He has no idea what he's talking about. Did I have plans to go and visit my friends? _What _friends! _Kai fumed mentally as he stomped around aimlessly. _What the hell got him talking like that, anyway? _

Gradually he put his anger aside and stopped. He wasn't really mad at Michael, he was just angry that he'd been reminded of the only thing he was going out of his way to forget. With a growl of irritation, he stopped and crossed his arms in a huff.

_Who needs friends, anyway? I'm perfectly fine on my own. I'm happy here, doing what I love to do… _

"I'm so lost! Waa!"

"If you had just listened to where you were supposed to go, you wouldn't be, you idiot."

"Hilary, I'm gonna miss my chance! MY ENTIRE LIFE HAS BEEN LEADING UP TO THIS!"

Kai paused for a moment. _Who the hell are they and what are they doing back here? _He wandered to where the voices were coming from and was just about to turn the corner when someone running at full speed crashed into him head-on.

"Ow!" At the speed the person had been running, the force had Kai thrown flat on his back. The wind was knocked out of him when said person landed directly on top of him.

"Ugh! Watch where you're going, you moron!" the person yelled. It was a masculine voice with a quirky quality. Kai let out a dazed moan and there was a short pause.

"Oh my God! I killed Kai Hiwatari!" he screamed in utter anguish. Kai squeezed his eyes shut.

"My head… stop screaming… bah…"

The boy gasped. "He's not dead," he said wonderingly. The clicking of heels was heard and suddenly there was a brown-haired girl standing over them. She glowered.

"I don't even want to know," she muttered. "Tyson, you need to learn self-control."

Tyson stuck his face inches from Kai's. _I can't believe this… I'm practically straddling Kai Hiwatari! Oh my God. Oh my God! I can't believe I ran into him like this. I can't believe I'm actually touching him! And wow… he's still hot and sweaty from his concert! I can't believe any of this!_

The young singer opened his eyes as his vision slowly came back into focus. There was a boy on top of him peering down with large coppery eyes, looking awed.

"Hey. Get off." Kai squirmed under his weight and the boy immediately jumped up and began gushing apologies. Kai sat up and shook his head to clear it, lifting his still damp bangs away from his face. Then he looked up.

"I am so sorry Mr. Hiwatari sir! Are you all right? I can pay for any damages!" The boy bowed deeply with his hands clasped together. Kai helped himself up and stared.

"What are you two doing back here? Authorized personnel only." He pointed to a sign. "You're going to get in huge trouble."

"No, wait! We have backstage passes, see?" He stuck them in Kai's face. "We just got lost."

Kai raised an eyebrow.

"You don't believe me!" he wailed. The brown-haired girl shoved him aside.

"Look, my idiot friend is telling the truth. He was so busy fainting over the prospect of meeting you that he didn't pay attention to where we were supposed to go. So, if you would kindly point us in the right direction, we'll just be on our way," she said.

"That's weird. You don't act like most of the other girls who come to see me," Kai stated, tapping his chin thoughtfully. She smiled thinly.

"That's because HE'S the rabid fan, not me," she said, pointing to Tyson, who currently was ogling with stars in his eyes. Kai turned his gaze over to him.

"Him?" he asked. "That… guy?"

Hilary nodded. "Yeah." _These rock stars are always so dense! _

While Kai seemed to be sizing Tyson up, there came a yell from behind them. Kai was about to turn around when he felt two whooshes go past him from behind and suddenly Tyson and Hilary were in the hands of two burly security officers. Tala came up and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"I've got your back, man," he said. "Was this chick trying to smuggle an autograph out of you? Get a lock of your hair?"

"Actually…"

"Let go of me!" Hilary shrieked, her eyes blazing with anger. "And stop talking like I'm smitten with that arrogant fool over there!" She pointed at Kai. He frowned.

"Oh, so these guys _aren't_ fans?" Tala narrowed his eyes. Michael came trotting up and looked over the scene.

"What on earth is going on here?" he asked.

"So, what were you planning to do? Get him cornered and then try to hurt him because you're jealous of his fame?" Tala grilled. Kai tugged at his sleeve slightly.

"I would never!" Tyson said indignantly. Hilary rolled her eyes. Michael stepped up.

"Kai, what happened? Are you all right?"

"These guys are harmless," he said. "They have backstage passes and got lost."

A short silence fell. Tala glared at Kai.

"You couldn't have said that _before_ I began getting fanatical about defending you?" he asked with an arched brow. Kai shrugged.

"How'd you guys get lost?" Michael asked skeptically. Hilary repeated her story, making sure she emphasized Tyson's stupidity. After a few more questions, he seemed like he accepted their explanation and turned to Kai, an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't know."

"It's okay," Kai said briskly, waving him off. "Aren't there some other people with passes waiting to meet me?"

"Actually, yeah… and you're kind of late, so let's get moving."

They began walking down the hall, flanked by the security officers. Tyson seemed intimidated by them and found himself walking in step with Kai. His heart was fluttering in his chest with excitement at meeting his celebrity crush. He hadn't expected to see him for very long, so this was practically heaven.

_I'm walking side by side with Kai Hiwatari. _He glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. _And he looks fit to ravish! I would so do it if I wouldn't get in trouble for it. _

"There he is, oh my God!"

"It's Kai!"

Tyson frowned when he saw that the other four people who had gotten backstage passes were squealing girls. He felt Hilary nudge him.

"You're the only guy here," she whispered.

"So!" he whispered back heatedly. "It shows that I have great taste in stars."

"Or something else."

He blushed and watched the girls flock around Kai, no small amount of jealousy rising in his chest. Michael told Kai to take them to his dressing room and show them around, then dragged Tala off and left Emily to oversee the visiting. Mariah joined them after a moment, all smiles.

"I'm Kai's makeup artist, Mariah," she sang out cheerfully. The girls oohed and ahhed over her, asking her questions about what kind of makeup Kai used. Said rock star was hanging back near his bed, totally fine with Mariah taking over the show. Tyson wasn't especially interested in what kind of makeup Kai wore and just really wanted to talk to Kai himself. He inched over slowly, then froze when Kai looked at him.

"I… er… uh…" Tyson stammered. A faintly amused smile appeared on Kai's lips as he motioned him over to him. Hilary was growing quite annoyed of watching Tyson's sudden shyness and gave him a sound shove to where Kai was standing.

"Ack!" Tyson stumbled forward, horrified at the prospect of crashing into Kai and knocking him over again. To his surprise (and delight), he felt a strong pair of arms catch him before he managed to smash his face into the floor. He looked up with large eyes and laughed weakly.

"Thanks…"

"You're kind of clumsy," Kai said, helping him stand. Tyson blushed fiercely. A moment of silence passed and they both looked up to see the four girls glaring daggers at the scene. They abandoned Mariah and instantly surrounded Kai.

"Hi! I'm Cindy."

"I'm Sally."

"I'm Mary-Jane."

"I'm Lulu!"

Kai looked slightly overwhelmed and glanced at Tyson. He scratched the back of his head with a sheepish look on his face.

"Um… I'm Tyson. That's my friend Hilary over there."

"It's nice to meet all of you," Kai began. "Uh… thanks for coming."

"Can I have your autograph?" one of the girls cried.

"Sure, you all can… if you want it," he said, looking at Hilary, who was glaring with all the intensity of the sun. The girls squealed simultaneously and thrust pen and paper into Kai's face. Tyson hung back and watched, subdued by all the females in the room.

"Hey, why aren't you over there acting like an idiot along with the rest of them?" Hilary asked. "I thought you worshiped Kai. At least go talk to the guy."

"I will," Tyson murmured, butterflies in his stomach. At that moment, the door burst open and Michael appeared again, this time with Oliver, Enrique, Tala, and Rei in tow. The girls looked up, then shrieked in delight, making a beeline for the rest of the band. Kai let out a soft sigh of relief as they gushed over them, demanding autographs.

"Hey, you don't seem very excited," he commented in Tyson's general direction, brushing his bangs aside. Tyson started.

"I am, I am! I'm seriously a huge fan of you and your work."

Kai smiled faintly and walked over to his bed. Tyson watched him sit down, then felt his heart skip a beat when Kai gestured lightly to the spot next to him.

"Go, you idiot," Hilary whispered harshly. Tyson danced over, feeling as if he were floating on air. He sat quietly and folded his hands in his lap, glancing at Kai out of the corner of his eye.

"Um… Mr. Hiwatari sir… it's a great honor getting to meet you," Tyson said nervously.

"You can call me Kai," he said, looking at him strangely. "How old are you, Tyson?"

"I'm nineteen."

Kai nodded, resting his chin in his palm. "I take it you already know how old I am."

"Why would you say that?" Tyson asked innocently. Kai raised his eyebrows.

"I occasionally surf those unofficial websites made for me. What are they called, Kai shrines? Most of the information is wrong, but my vital stats are pretty accurate."

Tyson looked down and blushed for the third time. He had about twenty Kai shrines book marked on his favorite list at home on his computer. "Well, what can you say… everyone adores you."

"Not everyone."

Tyson looked over, surprised. For a moment Kai looked distant, but then turned and gave him a classic smile. Tyson felt his insides turn to mush.

_I'm actually sitting here talking to Kai Hiwatari. And we're on a first name basis! _

"So, could you describe a typical day in the life of the famous Kai Hiwatari?" Tyson asked, feeling slightly more confident. He was generally a social person and got along well with almost everybody. Kai tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, right after I get up in the morning, I have a session with Spencer, my personal fitness instructor. Then after I shower comes breakfast, which is usually with Tala and usually health-food crap I'm forced to eat day in and day out. I'm supposedly on some kind of schedule, but basically I practice, go to vocal sessions, spend time with my dance instructor and choreographer—stuff like that. I model a little, too. Oh yeah, and I have a private tutor since I don't go to school anymore. Tala and I have the same one."

"Wow… your life sounds so cool! It must be so great being you," Tyson said with a grin. "Do you miss anything about just being a normal teenager? Well, young adult, anyway. It's probably great not having to go to school!"

"I liked school fine up until I got a record deal," Kai said, twisting a thin silver bracelet around his wrist absently. "The tutor works better now, though." A tiny frown creased his forehead. "I don't really miss anything about normal life. Well, I probably miss being able to eat whatever I want when I want, but other than that, I don't think there's anything."

Tyson blinked. "Do you get to go out and party with your friends? Living the high life, eh?"

Kai looked vaguely amused. "You'll probably be surprised to hear that I don't go out much. It kind of loses its luster when you step outside and either get mobbed by fans or paparazzi."

"Oh…"

"Don't get me wrong—I love my fans and all, but sometimes I'm appalled at how far they would go to meet me or something." He looked at Tyson, sincerity in his eyes. "I mean, I'm just a person like anyone else."

_Yeah, but you're rich, you're famous, you have amazing talent, _and_ you're drop-dead gorgeous. _

"Well, if you don't mind me saying again, it's an honor to meet you. You're even cooler in person!"

Kai looked amused again and thanked him. Michael stuck his head through the door.

"Hey, Kai, get out here. We're taking pictures in the hallway."

Tyson gasped. "Can I take a picture with you?" he asked, looking up with large eyes. Kai stood and motioned him to follow with a nod of his head. Tyson bounced along behind him, grinning in anticipation. The four girls were waiting outside, and they ran and latched themselves onto Kai when he stepped out of his room.

"Take one with me!" they said in unison. Four flashes later, each of them was cradling a Polaroid as if it were a billion-dollar check. Tyson felt his heart skip a beat when Kai came and stood close to him.

"Your turn," Kai said easily. "You wanted a picture, right?"

Tyson nodded and melted all over again when Kai draped an arm around his shoulders. Their faces were inches apart and Tyson could hardly contain his nervousness when Kai turned his head and looked at him briefly.

"Loosen up, will you?"

"Uh… s-sorry," Tyson stammered. Kai raised his eyebrows slightly, then turned back to the camera. Tyson attempted a smile.

"Say cheese," Emily said before the light flashed before their eyes. Tyson felt Kai drop his arm and turned to him with a smile.

"Thank you!" he said gleefully while Emily handed him the picture. He waved it around in the air, waiting for the image to show up. Kai yawned and felt Tala nudge him in the ribs.

"What? I'm sleepy," Kai whispered defensively. Tala rolled his eyes.

"You're such a whiner."

"I am not. Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Think about it."

Michael clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. "It's been our great pleasure to have you all back here. I hope you enjoyed meeting us all, and I hope you'll all be at Kai's next concert, which isn't too far away. We'd all like to thank you personally for supporting us."

"Yay!" the girls squealed. "We love you, Kai!"

Kai smiled thinly. "Thanks…"

"Now, if you'd kindly follow them, they'll see you out safely," Michael was saying, gesturing to three burly security guards. Kai extended a hand in Tyson's direction to shake it, and Tyson, hiding his inner excitement, grasped it breathlessly.

"Thanks for coming. I usually don't get to meet people like you," Kai said. Tyson gripped Kai's slender hand, feeling the delicate bones under his skin. His fingertips were calloused from playing his guitar.

"The pleasure was all mine," Tyson said dazedly. He felt Kai's pale hand slip from his fingers and before he knew it, Hilary was leading him after the security guards. After a moment, the cool night air hit him in the face, and he blinked, gathering his bearings.

"Hello?" Hilary called, waving a hand in front of him. "Earth to Tyson. We've got to get home now."

"Yeah…" he said slowly. "Wow. I can't believe I really met the guy. I met… Kai Hiwatari."

"You did, and now it's over so, let's get going!" Hilary dragged him off. Tyson fell into step beside her, walking quietly. He lifted the hand that Kai had shook and rubbed it gently with his other hand, and then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the picture they had taken.

"That came out nice," Hilary commented.

"Yeah, it did." Tyson gazed at it for a moment longer before pocketing it. He slipped his hands into his jeans pockets and grinned. "That was so beyond cool."

"Well, I'm glad you're satisfied. I am never coming with you to another one of his concerts again," Hilary stated firmly. "Even though that Rei was kind of cute…"

Tyson laughed. "And you think _I'm_ strange for thinking Kai's hot!"

* * *

"Are you going home or what?" Tala asked, sticking his head in Kai's door. Kai had showered and changed into a pair of light blue pajamas. He pulled the covers back on his bed and yawned widely.

"Are you crazy? The press is probably staking out my house. We just had a concert if you've forgotten. I'm staying right here."

Tala flicked the lights out for him. "See now, those backstage visitors weren't so bad."

"The girls were typical." He paused.

"And?" Tala prodded him. Kai climbed into bed and pulled the covers up before lacing his hands behind his head.

"And nothing. I'm so tired, I'm going to faint if you don't leave me alone."

"So go ahead and faint, you drama-queen. Like it'll make any difference—you're in bed," Tala pointed out. Kai hid a smile and turned to the side, curling up under the covers. He thought Tala had left when he heard his voice again.

"That Tyson kid was pretty nice," he mused. Kai grunted.

"Yeah, he was. Too bad I'll never see him again. I think I'll get over it."

Tala pouted. "What is with you? One minute you're cute, the next, you're like that. Mean as all heck. You and your stupid moods."

"I don't have moods."

"My ass."

"Goodnight, Tala," Kai said dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah. 'Night." He closed the door gently and Kai listened until the sound of his footsteps faded. He closed his eyes sleepily, remembering vaguely that he had a photo shoot early the next day, but not bothering to set his alarm clock.

"Tyson _was_ a nice kid," he mumbled. "Maybe one day I'll meet another nice kid and we'll fall in love and spend the rest of our lives together. Now wouldn't _that _be something." He shook off the absurd thought and soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

End of chapter two! Hopefully it wasn't too boring. I really don't know the slightest thing about how rock stars live, so I'm basically making this up as I go along (can you tell?). Anyway, we should have more Tyson and Kai interaction in the next chapter because I like Tyson and Kai interaction, so that's what you're gonna get. Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks much and see you soon. 


	3. Getting Away

Thank you for continuing to read this! I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am writing it.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

"C'mon, Kai. Feel the burn!" Spencer said, standing over the young singer with his muscular arms crossed, watching him vigilantly.

"Shut _up!" _Kai ground out, his irritation fueling him through another grueling set of sit-ups. "Can't you let me suffer in peace?"

Spencer guffawed noisily. "When you look in the mirror, don't you get a feeling of satisfaction at what great shape you're in? It makes all this pain worth it, doesn't it?"

"No. It doesn't." Kai finished his last sit-up and fell back against the blue mat, panting loudly. He cracked an eye open when Spencer knelt beside him, willing him to go away.

"Good job on the sit-ups. Now time for push-ups."

"I… hate… you…"

"You say that everyday. Think up something a bit more creative, will you?" He pulled Kai up into a sitting position, then started him on a set of push-ups. "Count out loud," he instructed.

"I don't want to!"

"Do it. And pace yourself, you're not gonna have any energy left at the end."

"I don't have any energy left _now,_" he muttered, beginning to count against his will. Spencer coached him until he reached fifty, then counted out loud for him. He stuck his face close to Kai's and grinned at him.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body, remember?"

Kai glared back at him, sweat dripping from his hair. He had a good mouthful of things to say at his fitness instructor, but lacked the breath to say them. Spencer leaned back and glanced at his stopwatch.

"Okay. You can stop now."

Kai gratefully sat forward on his knees, catching his breath and cursing mentally. Spencer slapped him on the back, eliciting a loud groan from the boy. Kai sucked in a deep breath and felt Spencer drop a towel on his head. He pulled it down wrathfully and buried his face in the soft material. Spencer chuckled.

"It's not half as bad as you make it out to be, Kai," he said with an amused look on his face. "You overly dramatize everything."

Kai grumbled to himself as he stood, grabbing a bottle of spring water and unscrewing the top. He had just taken a swig when the door opened and Emily stuck her carroty head in, pushing up her glasses.

"Good morning, boys," she said cheerfully. "Breakfast is waiting, so you'd better hit the shower, Kai."

"I'm going," Kai muttered, stalking out crossly. Mariah caught up with him and fell in step beside him, her long pink hair swaying every which way. She uttered a quick greeting and instantly began scolding him.

"You'd better hurry up if you don't want to be late for that photo shoot. Look at you, you're a royal mess!" She reached up and flicked his bangs back with a long, pink fingernail. He sniffed touchily.

"I just finished up with Spencer. What'd you expect?"

She ignored him. "I've got a long way to go to fix you up for the cameras, so shoo. Get a move on. Chop, chop."

Kai held his tongue and stomped to his room, slamming his bathroom door. He tossed his clothes aside and stepped into the shower after taking great pains to get the water flowing at the exact temperature he liked. Approximately four minutes later, he jumped at the sound of someone banging on the door.

"Kai! Quit dilly-dallying and get out!" Tala's voice.

"_You _get out!" Kai yelled.

"Michael's gonna have an orgasm if you're late."

Kai grimaced at Tala's choice of words, lathering sweet-smelling shampoo in his hair. A few minutes later while he was rinsing it out, he heard his cell phone begin to ring and cursed. It was sitting untouched on the rim of the porcelain sink. With an annoyed growl, he pushed the shower door open and groped for it with wet hands.

"What?" he said crabbily, pushing his dripping hair away.

"Kai, where are you? Your breakfast is waiting and so is Mariah," Michael snapped. Kai was about to answer when the small phone slipped from his fingers and fell with a splash into the toilet. He glared down at it, appalled.

"Shit," he muttered, returning to his shower. He quickly finished up and turned off the water, not bothering to fish his cell phone out when he left the bathroom. He dressed, toweled his hair, and set off down the hall to the kitchen area. Michael was waiting impatiently when he walked in.

"Why didn't you—"

"My phone fell in the toilet." Kai dropped into a chair beside Tala at the table and smiled sarcastically when the redhead pushed a whole-grain breakfast in front of him. Michael sighed heavily.

"Why can't you even take care of a simple phone?" Michael asked, rubbing his eyes stressfully.

"_Why _in hell's name did you have to call in the middle of my shower?"

"Just eat. And hurry up." Michael left, dialing on his phone.

Kai scowled, but did as he was told. Tala lounged around beside him, not paying any attention when Mariah flew in frantically.

"Kai! I don't have time for this!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room, ignoring his protests. Tala waited about ten minutes before Kai burst back in, anger blazing in his eyes. Mariah followed after him, a little calmer now that she had Kai dressed in a red silk shirt and black pants.

"Okay, you _cannot_ just grab me and go like that!" Kai yelled indignantly. Mariah waved her hand at him.

"You're dressed, aren't you? Just sit back and calm down." She pushed him back into his chair and began fussing with accessories. "Look at these earrings. They have little rubies on them." She shoved them in his face and Kai took a moment for his eyes to focus on the exquisite gold cylinders. He frowned.

"I don't like those dangly ones."

"They look gorgeous." She pushed his hair back and slipped them on his ears, then stood back to admire her work. He shook his head.

"I hate the way they feel," he complained. Tala peered at them.

"You look pretty with them," he commented. Kai jerked his head around and glared at him ferociously. Mariah smiled.

"See? You're wearing them."

"Dammit."

Tala smirked amusedly, watching Mariah go through a dozen bracelets. Kai sighed irritably, his eyes resting on a clock hanging on the far wall. He counted to sixty and then looked at Mariah expectantly.

"What? You can't rush these things," she snapped. Kai snatched one up.

"This one. There, we're done."

She looked at it skeptically. "I guess…"

Michael stuck his head in. "Fifteen minutes and we need you outside."

"I didn't fix his makeup yet!" Mariah screeched, hauling Kai away yet again. Tala got up and wandered to Michael. They heard a door slam and Tala clucked his tongue.

"He is going to be royally pissed," he stated. Michael sighed impatiently.

"Yeah, well… that's Kai for you."

* * *

The day after the concert, Tyson walked easily past dozens of shops in town. It was a clear Saturday morning and he was without a care in the world; the sun was shining, his memories of Kai were still fresh in his mind, and above all that, a carnival was in town. He paused beside a rack of hats set up outside of a store, picking up a baseball cap that caught his eye. Absently setting it back down, he continued on his way. He was planning to spend some time at the fair and was looking forward to it. He loved all kinds of rides and had an exceptional liking of fair foods.

A pair of girls breezed past him, chatting excitedly. "It's an outdoor shoot so we'll be able to see him! We can't get close enough to talk to him, but if I turn the flash of my camera, I might be able to get some good pictures."

"This is so exciting. I was so bummed about missing his concert last night!"

Tyson's ears perked up. "Are you talking about Kai?" he blurted out without thinking. The girls gave him an odd, slightly hostile look.

"Yeah, what's it to you?"

"Oh, nothing!" He wracked his brain for a second. "It's just that my girlfriend is _obsessed_ with the guy, and I'm sure she'd love it if I could get a picture of him, that's all…"

The girls exchanged looks. "He's having an outdoor photo shoot this morning a few blocks from the park. They didn't announce it publicly since they don't want hundreds of people showing up, but I'm sure there's gonna be quite a crowd. The word spreads, you know?"

Tyson nodded eagerly. "Thanks for telling me. I'll be sure to try to get a snapshot for her." He winked. The girls left, heading off quickly. Tyson took a deep breath, not believing his luck. _I could see him again! _

He waited a few moments to gather his thoughts, then set off for the place. He didn't have a camera with him, but didn't want to go all the way back home to fetch his, so he decided to go without one. Seeing Kai would be enough, anyway, and he didn't want to be late. The carnival could wait an hour or two.

It was easy enough to spot where all the excitement was going on; there was a small crowd surrounding the area. Security officers kept the crowd a good ten feet away from the cameras and other equipment. There were trailers around along with miniature white trucks with cameramen hopping about. Tyson circled around, but there wasn't a spot that he could squeeze into to get a glimpse at what was going on. An excited buzz hung over the whole event.

Tyson walked around for a few more minutes, earning the disapproving stares of the security people. When he was about to give up and go ahead to the carnival, an idea struck him. He nonchalantly walked away, pretending to be leaving. When the crowd of people hid him from the security men, he slipped behind one of the white trucks. With an impish grin, he scanned the area around him. The camera people were paying him no mind at all, bustling about hurriedly. They were all dressed in casual clothes, so maybe they would mistake him as one of them.

He began walking normally, looking as if he belonged. There were no adoring fans back here, for which Tyson was grateful. He spotted a familiar face and recognized him as Kai's manager. He was walking about looking slightly annoyed, as if he were waiting for someone. Tyson let out a little giggle of delight at whom he could be waiting on. A pretty orange-haired girl with large glasses came up behind him, holding a clipboard.

"Mariah's done and Kai's ready to throw a fit," she said with a smile. "Oh, and don't say anything about his earrings. Tala's been making cracks about them all morning and if one more person comments on them negatively, he'll probably rip them out. Okay?"

Michael grunted. "Are they ugly or something?"

"No, they're actually really gorgeous. He thinks they're too womanly, though." Emily shrugged good-naturedly and walked off. Michael rolled his eyes.

Tyson suppressed a laugh. He was about to walk off again when he heard a trailer door burst open loudly. He glanced at Michael, who was checking his watch, and then scampered closer to the sound. _Kai's gotta be around here somewhere. _

"You look soooo pretty. Will you be my wife?" Tala asked, batting his eyelashes innocently. "I can bring you to social functions and show you off like a new doll."

"Tala! Shut up already," Kai ground out. "I'm in a bad enough mood." Tyson's heart skipped a beat. _Found him! _

"You're no fun, you know that?" Tala was saying. Kai gave him a look. They walked down the wooden steps, Tala grinning and Kai frowning. Tyson bit his lip, contemplating on what he should do next. If they got to Michael, Kai would probably be too busy and Tyson wouldn't be able to see him. But if he did approach him, would someone get him into trouble? He _was_ trespassing, after all…

"Hey, look. It's that kid from yesterday," Tala said, pointing straight at him. Tyson froze. _That didn't take very long. Dammit! Now what do I do? _

"What are you doing back here?" Kai asked bluntly. Tyson came a few steps closer.

"Um… I got lost?"

"Again?"

Tala nudged Kai in the ribs. "He's lying, you idiot."

"I know," Kai hissed, shooting daggers at him. He looked at Tyson again. "If someone finds you, you're going to be in huge trouble."

"Well… you guys have already found me…" Tyson blinked and tried to look innocent. Tala clucked his tongue.

"So, you think we're not going to snitch on you, eh?"

"I'm kind of hoping you aren't."

Tala turned to Kai. "You have a photo shoot to do."

"Thanks for the reminder," Kai said sarcastically. "It's nice to know you're so eager to have me go. I appreciate it."

"What are friends for?"

Tyson stood somewhat uneasily. He had wanted to see Kai again, but now that he was standing in the very presence of his celebrity crush, he didn't know what to do next. He knew one thing, though: Kai looked absolutely gorgeous all made up for the camera. He smiled dreamily.

"You should go now, you know," Kai was saying. "Before you get caught."

Tyson snapped out of his reverie. "Oh! Well… I guess…"

"Yeah, Michael would have a cow if he knew you were back here," Tala said warningly. "Kai's late enough as it is."

"Okay. Uh… it was really great seeing you again, Kai," Tyson said with a cute smile. "I'll be off, then…"

"Wait." Kai turned to Tala. "What day is it?"

"Saturday," Tala said. Kai growled and stomped his foot in annoyance, crossing his arms with a frown. Tala and Tyson both gave him a weird look. Kai glared.

"It's _Saturday._ Today's the day of the carnival. Hello? Where are your priorities?"

Tala snorted. "You want to go to the carnival? You sissy."

"Shut up. I've never been to one."

Tyson perked up. "Really? Never in your entire life?" Kai shook his head and Tyson smiled. "I was planning to head over there today. I stopped by here when I heard about your photo shoot."

Kai looked pensive for a moment, then looked at Tala out of the corner of his eye. The redhead seemed to read his mind and instantly grew sour.

"No way. You can't go, you have a photo shoot!"

"But I've never been before."

"I'm sure you'll get over it."

"Just tell Michael you couldn't find me!"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure that'll sit well. Hey, Michael, I _lost_ Kai. You can tell the mob outside and the camera people to leave, now," Tala mimicked. "He'll be losing money. He'll have my ass."

"I can take you if you want," Tyson offered. Kai looked charmed and Tala frowned.

"Look, kid, you're really not helping."

"I'd love to go," Kai blurted out. Tala smacked his forehead and Kai gave him a look.

"Okay, just how do you plan on leaving then, huh?" Tala asked.

"I'll just walk out," Kai said with a shrug.

"With no one seeing you?"

"He came in with no one seeing him," Kai pointed out, gesturing to Tyson.

"He's not _you._"

"We'll just go through the back," Kai said irritably. "You know, if you avoid Michael, he won't be able to chew you out."

"You'll really come with me?" Tyson asked excitedly. _Kai Hiwatari actually wants to come with me to the carnival? Oh my God! This is unbelievable! _

"Come on, let's go now." Kai grabbed Tyson's arm and dragged him back behind the trailers and trucks, leaving a huffy Tala behind. Tyson allowed himself to be lugged along, still processing the thought that Kai was completely his for at least a few hours. _I'm in heaven…_

"I don't think anyone will notice us," Kai said, letting go of him and peeking around. "There's no one back here, anyway."

"Yeah, but…" A thought struck Tyson. "Once we get on the streets, everyone'll recognize you."

Kai sighed and let out a grumble. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, putting them on. "Any better?"

Tyson gulped. _Damn him for being so sexy. _"I can still tell who you are…"

"Well… damn."

"You could buy a hat," Tyson suggested brightly. "In the meantime… you could borrow mine."

Kai reached over and plucked Tyson's hat from his head. Tyson blinked and watched Kai pull up his silky tresses in the back and fit the hat snugly over them. He raised his eyebrows at Tyson.

"Thank you. Is _this _any better?"

Tyson laughed, his confidence growing. "As nice as those earrings look, you might want to take them off." The sun glinted off of the rubies set in the gold as they dangled from Kai's ears. He slipped them out and deposited them into a pocket.

"Okay, let's go," Kai said impatiently.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Horrible place to leave off, I know. It would be nice if I could just write one long, continuous piece of fiction without stopping for chapters. :) Of course, it would take me forever to get finished… in any case, please review and tell me what you think. Thank you! 


	4. Insight

Thank you for your delightful comments! I love you all. :D

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

As the pair stepped out onto the street, Tyson half expected a swarm of fans to mob them, and with a glance at Kai, it looked as if he were thinking the same. They paused for a moment and Tyson smiled. People passed by them without a second thought.

"Looks like we're free. Well, you are," Tyson said. Kai looked delighted and Tyson melted. He led them to the store that he'd stopped by earlier and told Kai to pick out a hat.

"I don't care how it looks," Kai said, picking one at random. Tyson shrugged and tagged along behind him as Kai went inside to pay for it. He handed it to the cashier and the man studied him carefully as he rang it up.

"You know, you look a lot like that rock star… Tai, or whatever his name is."

"His name is Kai and I get that a lot," Kai said blandly, handing over his money and taking the hat. Tyson suppressed a smile and bid the cashier a good day as they left. They stepped back outside and Kai handed Tyson his hat.

"Thanks," Kai said as he replaced it with his new one.

"No problem."

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Kai asked suddenly.

"Uh… a little. Why, do you want to grab a bite before we go to the carnival?"

"Yes, I do. I _never _get real food anymore. I'll treat you."

"Sure! Where do you want to go?" Tyson asked happily as they began walking. Kai shook his head.

"I don't know. You can pick."

"Well, what do you normally eat?"

Kai made a face. "Healthy stuff."

"It can't be that bad," Tyson said with a grin.

"Michael won't let me eat chocolate. Among other things."

"Ouch. Okay, I'll take you somewhere and you can load up on grease and sugar." He felt his heart skip a beat at the thrilled look on Kai's face. They entered a cozy café and seated themselves in the corner where Kai hopefully wouldn't be noticed. A young waiter came by and asked for their orders.

"Let's see… bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice," Kai listed. The man turned to Tyson who ordered the same. After he left, Kai took off his shades and Tyson found himself staring into Kai's magenta orbs. _He looks so human up close… I'd never think that this is the same guy I saw on stage yesterday. _

Kai's phone rang suddenly. Tyson heard Kai curse mildly and checked to see who was calling.

"It's Tala," Kai said, contemplating answering or not. He flipped his phone open. "Hello?"

"Kai,you dirty bastard!" Tala yelled furiously. "Where _are_ you?"

"Somewhere…" Kai answered vaguely. Tyson giggled.

"Michael is throwing a fit."

"Has he asked you where I am?"

"Not yet, I'm steering clear of him. When are you coming back? I can't keep avoiding him forever!"

"Eh… I'll be gone all day. If you could keep Michael under control until then, I'd appreciate it greatly. Thanks, Tala. Bye." Kai snapped the phone shut before he could reply, then turned it off. He looked up at Tyson with a smile in his eyes.

"I hope you don't get in too much trouble for this," Tyson said, grinning. Kai waved it off absently and pulled off his hat. His silken locks tumbled down richly.

"I'll be fine. They can live a day without me."

"I'm sure." _If I were them, I'd never let you out of my sight! Ughh… so sexy… _

"Anyway… this actually isn't my phone. I dropped mine in the toilet this morning," Kai said candidly. Tyson burst out laughing.

"You serious?"

"Yeah. Even famous people have accidents." Kai fiddled with his shades before resting his chin on his hand. "So, Tyson, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

Tyson gulped. _Oh my God, what do I say! _"Well… you already know I'm nineteen… and I'm gonna graduate from high school soon… and I really like your music."

Kai snorted. "There's got to be more to you than _me. _Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Um… no."

"Fancy that, neither do I."

There was a short silence in which Tyson dropped his eyes to the floor, feeling Kai's gaze resting on him. A blush rose in his cheeks and thankfully, their food arrived at that moment. The young waiter set their orders down and looked at Kai, who was without shades and hatless.

"Holy shit, man. You're—"

"Shh. I'd appreciate it if you didn't say my name out loud," Kai whispered. The waiter winked knowingly and sauntered off, obviously relishing their little secret. Tyson laughed lightly and picked up a fork.

"So, back to you," Kai said as he lathered butter all over his toast and took a bite. He sighed contentedly. "Mm. Grease. Salt. Fat. Everything I'm _not_ allowed to eat." He took another bite.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Tyson said, watching him gladly. In an attempt to steer the conversation away from him, he decided to change the subject. "So even when you were little, you never went to a carnival?"

"That's right."

"Any particular reason?"

Kai shrugged. "Just never got the chance to, I guess. I moved a lot when I was a kid and my parents were always busy. I wasn't very popular at school, either."

_"You,_ not popular?"

"I was nine. Give me a break."

Tyson giggled. "It's so hard to picture you as anything other than the totally famous heartthrob everyone sees on the cover of magazines and stuff. I mean, wow, you're sexy." Tyson froze. _Did I just say that out loud! Aaaack! _

Kai didn't seem to mind, or even notice Tyson's mini panic attack. "It might be since not many people really get to know me. I don't get out much." He stuck a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

Tyson crunched on a strip of bacon to keep himself busy, hoping he wasn't blushing. _What on earth possessed me to tell him that's he's sexy? I'm such an idiot. He probably thinks I'm some kind of freak!_

Kai picked up his glass of orange juice and looked at Tyson thoughtfully before taking a sip. "Did you have any other plans for today?"

"Huh? Well, no, I was just going to check out the carnival."

"So I'm not intruding, right?"

"Of course not! I'm honored that you even _want _to spend the day with me," Tyson answered truthfully. Kai folded his napkin and summoned the waiter again.

"Thanks. Shall we go then?"

Tyson grinned, feeling as if he would burst with joy. "Yeah."

Kai picked up the check and left a generous tip with the waiter for keeping his mouth shut and followed Tyson back outside after replacing his shades and hat. It was a little past ten in the morning and small crowds were forming outside the shops as the streets grew livelier. From where they were standing, they could hear the dainty music of the carnival rides. Kai lifted his eyes and saw the top of the Ferris wheel.

"That's really high," he remarked as they started walking. Tyson nodded eagerly.

"It's supposed to be like that. Don't tell me you're scared of heights," he joked. Kai smiled.

"I don't know, I've never been up that high on a ride. I guess we'll find out."

Tyson felt a small fluttering sensation in his stomach, but didn't have time to dwell on it before they reached the entrance of the carnival. People were bustling about and all sorts of fair sounds greeted them. Kai lifted his shades and stuck them on top of his hat, his eyes looking positively delighted.

"What do you want to do first?" Tyson asked.

"I have no idea."

"Well, then, why don't we look around and find something to do?"

"Lead the way."

They both began walking at a comfortable pace. Tyson looked around and spied a booth where you could purchase three balls and attempt to knock over a pyramid of bottles. He glanced at Kai.

"Aren't those things always rigged?" Kai asked.

"Hmm… I don't know. You want to find out?"

"Hey there, boys!" the man at the booth yelled at he spotted them. "Would you like to give it a whirl? You might win one of these fine prizes."

"You go first," Kai said, giving Tyson a nudge. He shrugged.

"Sure. I'll try to win you a teddy bear," he said with a wink.

"I'd prefer the snow globe," Kai said, leaning over and looking at the prizes. Tyson smiled and bought three balls.

"Okay! Here I go." Tyson wound his arm back and closed one eye. After a moment of careful precision, he threw the ball. Kai watched as it bounced off the side harmlessly. The bottles didn't budge.

Tyson scowled. "That was a bad shot," he muttered, winding up for a second throw. Kai crossed his arms interestedly, tilting his head to the side as Tyson shut one eye again and carefully aimed. This time the ball hit the stand and the bottles rattled, but didn't fall.

"That was better," Kai mused.

"You'd better not have those nailed down!" Tyson said heatedly. The man walked over and picked up a bottle, waving it around.

"They're not nailed down. You just don't have very good aim," he said with a small smirk. Kai chuckled softly as Tyson's cheeks turned crimson.

"I'll get it this time," he declared, composing himself and taking aim again. He paused, and then threw the ball firmly. It hit the top bottle and bounced off, and Kai raised his eyebrows as Tyson turned beet red and began yelling furiously.

"I HIT THAT DEAD-ON!"

"But it didn't fall, so you lose." The man crossed his arms stubbornly.

"It should've fallen!

"But it didn't. What can I do about it?"

"Gimme three free shots, that's what you can do about it!"

"Let me try." Kai stepped up. They both looked at him.

"Sure thing, sonny," the man said, graciously accepting his money and handing him three balls. Tyson huffed and stalked aside, crossing his arms to watch. Kai studied the bottles for a moment and then tossed the ball. It hit the target and the bottles rattled again, but didn't fall, and he raised a skeptical eyebrow at the man, who scowled.

"You need to throw it harder," he justified.

"You're a no-good cheater!" Tyson accused. The man and him got into another heated yelling match while Kai frowned and tossed his second ball up and down absently. He glanced at Tyson, who was once again red in the face, and threw the ball much harder than before. When it hit, three of the six bottles broke and Kai winced slightly as they all fell to the ground. Apparently that was more force than necessary.

"Sorry," Kai said as the man gaped at the mess. Tyson began laughing uncontrollably.

"HA! In your face, cheater-man!"

The man shot him a dirty look. "Congratulations. Pick your prize," he said to Kai, ignoring Tyson's hoots. Kai walked over and studied the prizes laid out.

"You should meet my fitness instructor," Kai remarked, his eyes moving over the rewards. Tyson wasn't sure if he was calling him weak or simply making a casual comment, but didn't dwell on it long because Kai spoke again. "Would you like to pick something out?"

"No, you pick. You won, after all."

Kai was quiet for a minute. "Which one do you like better?" he asked, holding up two snow globes. One of them immediately caught Tyson's eye: it was a beautiful light blue with sparkles shimmering in the light. Inside the globe, there was a pretty scene of a unicorn in the moonlight, looking regal and majestic.

"That one," Tyson said, pointing to the unicorn. Kai put the other one down.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Tyson smiled. The man gave him a bag for the snow globe and shooed them off. Tyson flounced behind Kai, sticking out his tongue at the owner of the booth. Kai didn't notice.

"Okay! So, now what?" Tyson asked cheerily. Kai sniffed the air for a moment.

"Caramel apples."

"You want one?"

"I haven't had one in _years._"

Tyson raised his eyebrows as they got in line. "What _are _you allowed to eat?"

"Anything without fat, grease, excessive salt or sugar, oil… basically, if it tastes like cardboard, I can have it. Junk food's totally out of the question. Oh, and get this—I can't have ice," Kai said with a roll of his eyes. Tyson looked surprised.

"Why not?"

"It's supposedly bad for your throat. They won't let me drink any kind of carbonated beverage and they tell me not to drink coffee, but they don't enforce that rule as strictly."

Tyson's head was reeling at the mere thought of being deprived of those kinds of foods and drinks, some of his fondest pleasures. "Damn… so you're not exactly living the high life."

"That all depends on how you look at it. I love what I do. Performing is my greatest passion, but sometimes it's a little… uh, what's the word? Lonely, I guess." Kai smiled at him gently and Tyson smiled back, but inside he felt troubled. _He's lonely? But he's got everything! _They reached the front of the line at that moment and the person at the booth dipped two apples skewered with a stick into a tantalizing pot of warm caramel before handing them over. Kai paid and gave one to Tyson, and they began walking at an easy pace. Tyson stared at his caramel apple with a small frown on his face.

"So… what do you mean by lonely? Everyone loves you," he said quirkily.

"It's hard to explain. I know I have fans… and I've got a few good friends… but sometimes you feel like there's something missing. I can't really have relationships."

Tyson's heart plummeted to the ground. "Why not!" _Does he have some kind of STD? Gah! No way! _

"I've had people to like me and I've dated here and there, but I can't keep a steady connection. They always say they like me and I'm a great guy, but they get sick of all the strings attached, like the paparazzi, or the bad media." Kai shrugged and took a bite of his apple, licking the gooey caramel off of his lips. "It's the price of fame, I guess."

"But…" Tyson struggled to find the right words. "But that's not fair!"

"I know," Kai said casually. Tyson pouted at his nonchalant attitude.

"You should do something about it! I think you deserve someone who'll take you the way you are, strings or no strings. It's not your fault that the thing you just _happen_ to love to do makes you hard to date!" he said fervently.

"Your caramel's starting to drip," Kai informed him. Tyson looked down and indeed, his caramel was dribbling down the stick. He blushed.

"Thanks for telling me."

"No problem. What do you suppose I do about it?"

It took Tyson a moment to realize what Kai was talking about. "Um… well… I'm not exactly sure."

"Neither am I." He paused. "You really can't blame anyone for not wanting to date a famous person. I mean, the media's always trying to poke their nose into your business and the tabloids spread lies faster than wildfire."

"But still. That all shouldn't matter if someone really loves you," Tyson said insistently.

"It's hard _not_ to let it get to you. Some of those lies are really hurtful." Kai crunched into his apple again. Tyson pondered the matter while beginning on his own snack.

"Besides," Kai continued. "It gets really annoying when you can't even get a minute alone. You can't build a relationship like that. Tala has tons of short-term relationships—and when I say short-term, I mean a different person every week—and he's even resorted to one-night stands to satisfy himself. He's perfectly happy living like that, but I'm not like him. I need depth."

"Yeah, same here," Tyson said, nodding. _He's so different from what I expected… but I think I like the difference. _

"It's okay, though. It's not like I cry myself to sleep over it."

Tyson smiled. "One day you'll find someone who'll take all of you," he said confidently. "I promise." _I can't believe he's having trouble keeping a steady relationship! I mean, he's so nice… and gorgeous to boot. I think the effort would be totally worth it. _

Kai looked at him, mild gratitude in his eyes. "Thanks. I'll hold you up on that promise." There was a short pause in which Kai finished his caramel apple and tossed the core into a nearby trash bin. "You know, you're really nice. How come you're not dating anyone?"

Tyson laughed loudly to cover his embarrassment and second slight panic attack of the day. "Ahahaha! Well… uh, you see…"

Kai waited, watching him quietly. Tyson coughed and scratched his head.

"I… don't know," he offered lamely. "I'm just busy living single, I guess!" _How stupid do I sound! The real reason would sound even stupider, though. I'm not dating anyone because I have a huge crush on _you! _I'm sure he'll take that well. _

"What about that girl that came with you last night? She was cute… in a vicious kind of way."

"You mean Hilary? Oh, she's just a friend." Tyson remembered his apple and took a bite.

"I kind of got the impression that she didn't like me."

Tyson laughed. "She was just sick of hearing about you."

"From who?" Kai asked innocently. Tyson stopped. _From the over-zealous fan standing next to you. Gah! I'm such a dork! _

"Um… well, I took the liberty of informing her about you and your music and stuff. You know, I prepped her for the concert."

"Oh. That's nice." Kai slipped his hands into his pockets and studied the sky. "It's really refreshing hanging out with a normal person… you know, someone who doesn't squeal and cling all over me. You're a fan of my music, right?"

Tyson chuckled weakly. "Yeah."

"But you still treat me like a normal guy."

"Well… I thought you'd appreciate it," Tyson said with a shrug. Kai sighed contentedly.

"I do appreciate it. I feel like I did before I got my record deal… like an ordinary kid who could get away with anything."

Tyson listened quietly as a gentle breeze blew by. "How much trouble are you going to get in for this?"

"Oh, Tala'll bitch about me leaving him to fend for himself against Michael, who'll probably bite my head off for skipping out on the photo-shoot. A decent amount of trouble."

"Ehh… maybe I should take you back," Tyson said uncertainly. Kai shook his head.

"I'm already in trouble. I might as well make the most of today, right?"

Tyson grinned. "Well then, what are we standing around here for? Let's ride the Ferris wheel!"

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Okay, I've totally and completely _warped _Kai's character. He's nice. o.o Ehh… please review! Thanks. 


	5. The Merry Go Round and a Movie

Err… super long wait. Sorry this took so long. Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it greatly! Oh, and the question as to who is uke and who is seme in this came up in a review… I'm fairly certain that Tyson's uke, but there might be moments when they have an equal relationship. And who knows, Kai might be uke for a bit. I can never say for sure because these fics have a mind of their own, I swear.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

* * *

_Ah… there we were at the very top seat of the Ferris wheel. Kai was laughing in delight and I was right there with him with a big smile on my face. When I see how happy he looks, I just get this great warm feeling inside. Like, _I_ made him happy. He's smiling because of me… and then all I want to do is just give him even more joy. It makes me feel positively euphoric that I have the power to make someone feel good, or even just to make them smile. This isn't the Kai you see on the cover of the magazines or the one you see on stage. This is the real Kai, the one that actually acts human, the one with feelings just like me. _

_And then the wheel comes to a slow stop and we both look at each other in surprise. He asks me if this is supposed to happen during the ride and I tell him no. That's when we hear a little guy on the ground yell that they're encountering some technical difficulties and just to stay calm, we'll have this sorted out as soon as possible. I couldn't believe my luck; there I was, a hundred feet in the sky with the boy of dreams. We were stuck there and I apologized for the bad timing, but he said he didn't mind in the least. A thousand butterflies took flight in my stomach as he moved his face closer to mine and thanked me again for spending the day with him. I was thought I was gonna die! And then time seemed to grind to a halt and I really thought that I had died and gone to heaven because he leaned in and kissed me and then I—_

"You want some ice cream?"

Tyson snapped out of the inner monologue he was reciting to tell Hilary and blinked. Kai was standing there with a patient look on his face.

"Huh?"

"I'm going to buy some ice cream. Do you want one?" Kai asked. Tyson nodded dazedly. _Okay, okay, so he didn't really kiss me. But the rest of it is true! We really did get stuck in the top car and I really was a hundred feet in the air with Kai Hiwatari! _

"You look kind of preoccupied," Kai commented lightly as they stood in line for ice cream.

"Oh! I, uh, was just thinking… about my friend Hilary! You remember her, right? She came with me to the concert," Tyson said in a rush. Kai nodded slowly.

"I remember."

"Good. I was just thinking about how she likes the Ferris wheel… and carnivals and stuff." Tyson blushed gently at his pathetic attempt to avert his thoughts from the image of Kai kissing him in his head. _I want him to kiss me so badly! Ugh… I'm so hopeless. _"How'd you like the ride?"

Kai adjusted the bill of his hat. "I think it should break down more often. It was really nice just sitting up there in the sky."

Tyson smiled. It _had _been nice. They had been up there for about twenty minutes before the ride cranked up again, and Tyson had learned that Kai wasn't afraid of heights, his favorite color was blue, he enjoyed Shakespeare—his favorite being _A Midsummer Night's Eve—_, he hated violent movies, and he loved playing the guitar and piano. It had been the best twenty minutes of Tyson's life.

"I'm really glad you're having a good time," he said sincerely. "You know, I'm starting not to even think of you as a celebrity anymore."

"Really?" Kai asked, sounding pleased. Tyson fought off another blush.

"I mean, it's kind of hard to forget it _completely, _but you're so normal. And you're easy to be around and stuff."

Kai chuckled softly. "There's really no difference between me and any other guy on the street."

"Aside from the fact that you're on TV, the radio, in magazines, etcetera, etcetera." Tyson grinned.

"Yeah. Aside from all that. Hey, what kind do you want?" Kai asked as they reached the front of the line. Tyson bounced up eagerly.

"I'd like a scoop of chocolate with sprinkles, nuts, and hot fudge," Tyson recited. "On a sugar cone."

"And you, sir?" the lady asked as she handed over Tyson's order. Kai asked for strawberry ice cream with sprinkles on a regular cone. The pair walked a few feet away and sat down near the merry-go-round. Tyson glanced at his watch.

"You know, we've been here for almost two hours and we've only ridden on one ride," he pointed out.

"I won a snow globe, though," Kai reminded him. He started on his ice cream and Tyson was momentarily mesmerized at the sight of Kai's pink tongue poking at the frosty substance. He shook his head and averted his gaze, nibbling on his sugar cone. He glanced over again and saw Kai lick the whole thing around. _Gah! He's even sexy when he eats. And why does he have to eat his ice cream in such a provocative way? Is he doing that on purpose! Maybe my mind is just way too lewd… _

"Mmm," Kai said appreciatively as he practically kissed the peak of the strawberry mound. He licked his lips and looked at Tyson. "This is horrible for you, you know."

"I know."

"My voice is going to be shot to hell tomorrow during practice." He swirled his tongue in the soft cream, not noticing the increasing flush in Tyson's cheeks. "But I'd say it's worth it."

_His sex appeal is gonna be the death of me. _Tyson took a huge bite of his chocolate ice cream and swallowed quickly, suffering a moment of mild brain freeze. "You want to ride the merry-go-round after this?"

Kai glanced at the array of unicorns, dolphins, ponies, lions, tigers, seals, and dozens of other creatures that sparkled and swayed prettily. The music tinkled softly, giving the whole thing a dreamlike appearance. "Okay."

Tyson mentally let out a squeal of delight, then straightened when he heard Kai speak again.

"Hey, Tyson? Where do you live?"

"Ah, not very far from here. My grandfather's renting a house for me here in the city so I can be closer to school. I used to live with him at his dojo."

Kai looked fascinated. "A real dojo?"

"Uh-huh. He teaches a kendo class once a week. Maybe one day when you have the time, I could bring you there to meet him and see the place," Tyson suggested lightly, holding his breath.

"I'd love to." Kai crunched into his cone and Tyson grinned idiotically.

_Oh my God. We have future plans! _

They sat in comfortable silence, Tyson giddy at the mere thought of having Kai Hiwatari grace his home with his presence, and Kai simply enjoying his ice cream. When they were finished, Kai stood and brushed off his fingers, studying the merry-go-round. Tyson tossed the last bit of his cone into his mouth and swallowed without chewing much, then gave Kai an engaging look.

"All right, come on. This is probably my favorite ride of all time." Tyson grinned.

"That's funny," Kai said, walking beside him. "You give off the impression of being the sort to like roller coasters, or something."

"I like those, too. Eh, I like 'em all, but this one…" Tyson shrugged. "It's peaceful. And it always takes me back on a trip down memory lane. It reminds me of being a little kid again."

Kai gave him a soft look. "That's nice."

The line was moving fairly quickly, and in no time at all, they were asked to pick a creature to ride on. Tyson stepped aside.

"You pick first. I'll just take the one beside you."

"Um…" Kai pondered for a moment before pointing to a mythical phoenix, fiery red and looking splendidly magnificent. Beside it was a long blue dragon that twisted around regally, its head held high and proud. Tyson padded over and hopped onto the dragon, giving it a once-over.

"This is pretty cool," he said, looking up as Kai slipped onto the phoenix. "I think I probably would have picked the same one."

Kai traced his fingers over the face of the legendary bird, outlining the eyes and then the beak. "It's pretty," he murmured.

"Yeah, it is. You know the story of the phoenix, right? You know, how it rises out of the ashes and all?"

"Of course." Kai looked back up and Tyson gave him a cute smile while the rest of the crowd assembled themselves on the various objects. A man in charge walked around, speaking enthusiastically about some safety precautions before the music began and the ride slowly cranked up.

"Here we go! Hold on tight, Kai, I wouldn't want you to fall off," Tyson joked.

"Fat chance."

The tinkling melody filled the air with its harmonious tune as the glittering creatures all moved up and down in a hypnotizing waltz. Tyson shut his eyes and smiled, loving the airy feeling that always came over him when he rode the merry-go-round. He peeked at Kai, who also seemed to be having a good time, and felt immense pleasure at the fact that he was having so much fun with him.

The ride was over much too soon (in Tyson's opinion), but when they both stumbled off, Tyson found Kai's cheeks flushed with laughter, and decided that his new life's goal was to make Kai Hiwatari happy. He knew Hilary would call him three kinds of idiot, but didn't mind in the least.

"Fun, huh?" Tyson asked.

"Oh, yeah. I have _got_ to get Tala to ride with me next time." Kai gave him a striking smile and Tyson nearly burst with joy. He wanted very badly at that moment for time to stand still, but before he could think another thought, someone came over and pulled Kai's hat off.

"Hey!" Tyson yelled indignantly. Kai's silky hair fell down to his neck and the person holding his hat gawked. After a short silence, she began exclaiming breathlessly.

"Oh my _Gawd! _You're Kai Hiwatari!" she shrieked, her voice piercing through the crowds. A murmur ran through the multitude.

"Oh…" Kai took a step backwards. "Shit."

"Kai Hiwatari is here! AND I HAVE HIS HAT!"

"Tyson, I'm sorry," Kai said quickly.

"It's—" A throng of screaming people suddenly pushed Tyson back, and he nearly lost his balance. He huffed resentfully at having been shoved aside like old garbage, then stood on his tiptoes, trying to catch a glimpse of Kai. The mass of people grew thicker, some yelling Kai's name and some wondering what the big fuss was. Tyson frowned.

"Kai was supposed to be _mine _for today," he said peevishly. After a moment, he slipped into the crowd and began pushing his way through, weaving from side to side. Just when he thought he was about to reach the middle, he popped out on the other side and was rudely shoved a few feet away.

"ARGH! Stop pushing me!" He straightened his cap and let out an irritated sigh. There was a youngish boy standing around the merry-go-round, maybe nine years old or so, and an idea suddenly popped into his head. He approached the kid, who was watching the uproar with wide eyes.

"Hey, you. How'd you like to give me a hand?" Tyson asked amiably. The boy stared at him.

"Mommy says I'm not allowed to talk to strangers."

"Err… well, where's your mommy?"

"She's not here. I'm with my sister."

"Okay. Where's your sister?"

The boy pointed to the teeming crowd, and Tyson rolled his eyes. "Jeez. Well, how'd you like to make an extra…" He dug through his pocket and pulled out a five-dollar-bill. Frowning slightly, he reached back in and found a single dollar, then replaced the five. "Dollar? You could go buy yourself an ice cream."

"Mommy says I'm not supposed to take anything from strange people."

"It's for a good cause!"

The boy eyed him and Tyson composed himself. "You see, all you have to do is go over there and yell, 'It's Tala, Rei, Oliver, and Enrique!' as loud as you can."

"I can't remember all those weird names."

"Okay, okay, just yell the ones you can remember."

"Uh…"

"Please? I promise you won't get in any trouble!" Tyson thrust the bill into his hands and the kid stared down at it dumbly.

"Um… okay, I guess."

"Thank you. Now go over there and yell at the top of your lungs." He led him a few yards away and stood back. The boy shrugged and took a deep breath.

"IT'S TALA AND REI AND OLIVE AND ENRIKAY!" he screamed in a high-pitched voice. Tyson winced at the 'olive' bit, but quickly grew hopeful as another murmur ran through the crowd.

"Tala!"

"No way, they're all here?"

"OH MY GOD REI I LOVE YOU!"

The crowd split as more than half of them went running towards the little boy's voice. Tyson suffered a moment of guilt for the kid's sake, then went to the much smaller crowd surrounding Kai and slipped through, mumbling apologies and excuses. He finally found Kai in the middle with three girls hanging onto his body and another shoving a book in his face, demanding an autograph.

"Hey, I found you," Tyson said delightedly. Kai looked surprised to see him as he delicately pried a girl off of his arm.

"I thought you would've left for sure."

"And leave you here like this? That's just cruel."

Kai chuckled faintly and turned his attention back to the girls. "Uh… here." He scribbled his name down quickly, then flashed a dazzling smile before Tyson grabbed his arm and yanked him away. A few people looked as if they wanted to tag along, but the growing mass yelling frantically about Kai's other band members attracted them instead. They finally made it to the entrance of the carnival, and Kai let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," he said, pulling his sunglasses down over his eyes again. Tyson grinned and lent him his baseball cap for the second time that morning, and they began walking as Kai adjusted it atop his head.

"Does that happen a lot?" Tyson asked.

"Not nearly as much as you'd think. Michael's very good about security… and he's a little paranoid about our safety, which is why he's gonna blow when I get back." Kai smiled good-naturedly. "But since he's not around, I probably shouldn't be walking around in the open so carelessly."

_The golden opportunity. _"Well… you're welcome to come to my place for a while, if you'd like…" Tyson paused lightly, letting the invitation hang in midair.

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Course not."

Kai glanced backwards for a moment. "The carnival was fun while it lasted. Sorry, I kind of forced you to leave."

"It's okay, I'm just glad you had a good time," Tyson said truthfully. _Holy crap. Kai Hiwatari is coming to my house! All right, Tyson, stay cool… _

"Do you live far from here?"

"Not at all. Just a few blocks down." Tyson gave him a smile. "Follow me."

* * *

Tyson's house was nothing special, but Kai liked it. It was pleasant and inviting, very much the opposite of how Kai saw his _own_ house. There was nothing wrong with it; it was just that even after a year of owning it, he still couldn't seem to be able to call it home. He was hardly ever there in the first place.

Tyson kept up a steady stream of chatter, even up until they had reached his doorstep. Kai didn't mind; Tyson kept the topics interesting, if irrelevant, and Kai found himself feeling like an average person stopping by a friend's house after school. It was something that he hadn't felt in a long time, and he was beginning to feel very comfortable around Tyson, despite the fact that they'd hardly known each other for a day.

"Sorry if the place is a little messy," Tyson was saying as he unlocked the door and held it open for him. "I don't have anybody to tell me to clean my room since I'm by myself."

"Don't worry about it." Kai stepped inside and immediately smelled something delicious. "Were you cooking in here?" _Chocolate chip cookies. That's what it is. _

Tyson laughed, a small blush tingeing his cheeks. "Oh, well, I was just… baking… a little earlier."

"Baking cookies?"

"Err, yeah. Can you tell?"

The corners of his mouth turned upwards slightly as Kai nodded. "It smells really good."

"Well… since you're here and all, would you like to taste them and give me your honest opinion on how good they are? Or how bad they are…"

"Sure." Kai followed him into the kitchen were Tyson lifted the lid off of a cookie jar sitting on the counter. Near the oven were two cookie sheets with grease and crumbs still sticking on them. The kitchen was spacious and generally clean, and it gave off the impression that someone used it a lot.

"Here." Tyson tilted the jar towards him and Kai took one, taking a small bite. Tyson watched him carefully with scrutinizing eyes.

"You baked these yourself?" Kai asked, taking another bite. Tyson nodded.

"You like it?" he asked uncertainly.

"Of course I do. Has anyone ever told you that you're a really good cook? Well, at least I know you're really good at making cookies." Kai gave him a reassuring smile and Tyson let out a small sigh of relief.

"Gee, thanks, Kai! You really like 'em?" Tyson thrust the jar out once more, a grin on his face.

"Mm-hmm." He bit into another one, and Tyson picked one up and munched it thoughtfully.

"I'm glad you think they're good," he said with a wide grin. A flash of panic suddenly crossed his eyes. "Jeez, where are my manners? Go and sit down in the living room, I'll be out in a minute." He hastily shoved the jar into Kai's hands and shooed him out of the kitchen. Kai blinked at his abrupt dismissal, but shrugged it off quickly, wandering out into the adjacent living room while reaching for another cookie.

The living room walls were rich, dark wood, giving the place a very cozy feel. There were two couches, a large leather rocker, and a coffee table placed tastefully in the middle. A wide-screen TV and entertainment system took up the entire far wall. There was another table for casual dining on the entering side of the room, and Kai set the ceramic jar down as a sheet of paper left on the table caught his eye. He picked it up and was reading it attentively when his gracious host arrived carrying a large bowl of nachos and balancing two containers of cheese dip and salsa in the other hand. He almost dropped his load when he spotted Kai.

"Ah! What are you reading?" he demanded frantically.

"Just something that was sitting here," Kai answered inattentively. Tyson put the bowls on the table and attempted a wild grab at the paper, but Kai held it out of reach and continued reading. When Tyson persisted, Kai pushed his hand against his face and lifted the paper above his head, looking skyward to finish while Tyson made incoherent stutters into his palm.

"Mm! Put that down!"

"I'm just about done."

"Kaaaai! That's nothing, I-I wasn't being serious when I wrote it!"

Kai looked at him, finally removing his hand. "You lie," he accused mildly.

Tyson blushed furiously. "It's just a stupid poem that I wrote when I was bored." He snatched at the paper and balled it up lightly.

"Stupid poem, eh?"

"Yes. _Very_ stupid."

"I like it."

"Well—" Tyson stopped short. Then he scrunched up his face. "You're just saying that to be polite."

"Am not. Add some notes and you'd have a song." Kai pulled the crumpled paper out of his hands and studied it again.

Tyson paused, his embarrassment ebbing away slightly. "Ah… really?"

"_I_ think so. You're a really good writer."

"Well, I just write what I feel."

Kai looked up and smiled at him. "So do I."

With butterflies dancing in his stomach, Tyson returned the grin feebly. His knees felt like jelly. He cleared his head and picked up the forgotten snacks, walking into the living room and placing them on the coffee table in front of the couch. Kai followed, slipping Tyson's poem into his pocket.

"Go ahead and sit down, Kai. Make yourself at home," Tyson said cheerfully.

"Thanks. You have a really nice place." Kai sat down on the comfortable sofa and watched Tyson settle down next to him.

"I also have a really nice grandfather paying for it," he answered with a grin. "Hey, where do you live?"

"Not too far from the recording studio, but we all have rooms there, too. Tala and I are the only ones that really use them, though. Rei, Oliver, and Enrique never spend the night. You see, people are always staking out my house and a lot of the time, it makes it impossible for me to get home."

"Jeez, that's harsh. I bet your phone is ringing off the hook in there. Chip?" Tyson gestured to the bowl.

"I actually don't even have a home phone line," Kai said with a tiny smile, reaching over and dipping a nacho into the soft cheese. "I had it disconnected not too long after I got the house." His smile faded as he bit into the chip. "You get a lot of fan calls, but there are a lot of rude calls, too."

"Oh… man, that must be tough." Tyson frowned and nibbled on a nacho.

"It's not that bad. I have a cell number that only a few people know." As if by magic, his phone rang. Tyson giggled as Kai flipped it open.

"_KAI!"_

"Ow!" Kai yanked the phone from his ear, wincing at the tinny voice that could be heard even when he held it a good two feet away.

"Who's that?" Tyson asked, watching with interest. Kai paused.

"It's Tala, I think." He brought the phone to his mouth. "Stop yelling at me! I can't understand a word you're saying." The phone went quiet and Kai tentatively held it to his ear again. "Hello?"

"Kai. It's me, Tala."

"I figured. What is it?"

"Where _are_ you? It's past lunchtime and Michael's convinced you've been kidnapped."

Kai laughed. "Well, tell him I'm fine."

"He doesn't believe me! I swear, he's about to call the National Guard in. You should do us all a favor and get your ass back here now."

"Uh…" Kai tilted his head at Tyson and winked. "No. I'm not done yet."

"Mother f—"

"Listen, I'll talk to Michael for you. Get him on the line." Kai heard Tala sigh and begin calling for their manager. He covered the mouthpiece and gave Tyson a charming smile.

"Is everything okay over there?" Tyson asked.

"Oh, everything's fine. I just have to straighten something out with Michael. Oh, Michael? Hi."

"Kai! Where have you been? Are you okay?" Michael asked frantically.

"I'm fine, Michael. I have _not_ been kidnapped."

"Then where are you?"

"I'm… visiting a friend. Like you told me to."

Tyson smothered a grin. _I'm his friend. Kai Hiwatari just told his manager that I'm his _friend!_ I'm gonna die from joy if this keeps up… _

"I didn't… uh… oh," Michael said sullenly, recognizing his words from earlier. "But you said you weren't going anywhere. You skipped out on a photo shoot that cost us _thousands_ to get!"

"Take the money out of my salary."

"That's not the point. You cannot simply walk out of here without telling anyone. We were all sick with worry!"

"Well, I'm fine. Sorry if I scared you. I'll see you sometime later tonight, okay?"

"Later tonight?" Michael sputtered. "You get back here right _now!"_

"I'm busy."

"Doing what?"

"I told you, I'm spending time with a friend."

"What friend? What's his name? Where does he live? Does he have a criminal record?"

Kai covered the mouthpiece again. "Have you ever been arrested?" he whispered. Tyson shook his head and Kai went back to his conversation. "His name is Tyson, he lives in a house, and no, he doesn't have a criminal record."

"He lives in a _house? _What kind of half-assed answer is that, Kai! Where _are_ you?"

"I'm at his house."

"Tell me!"

"No, because you'll send someone over to get me." Kai could practically see Michael pulling at his orange hair.

"Okay, okay, let's negotiate."

"Here are my terms. You hang up and don't call again until I get back. You're forcing me to be rude to my host."

Michael huffed. "Kai, I'm looking out for your safety. Don't make me out as some evil monster ruining all your fun."

"Of course not."

"Good. Now tell me where you are."

"Goodbye, Michael."

"Wait! Tell m—" Kai flipped his phone shut and put it on silent mode before giving Tyson an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay. They're very protective of you."

"Yeah, they are." A pensive look came over his face. "Maybe I should have been nicer."

"Oh, you were nice enough," Tyson said quickly. "I'm sure they can understand that you need your privacy."

Kai snorted lightly. "Sometimes I doubt that, but I'm grateful to them, nonetheless. Uh… that poem you wrote…"

"I already told you, it wasn't anything special," he mumbled, his face reddening.

"I think it's beautiful," Kai stated, and Tyson's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he noticed an extremely faint crimson color tingeing the young singer's cheeks. For a moment, he didn't know what to say, and was brought back to reality when he felt Kai poke his shoulder.

"Did you hear me?" he asked, peering at him. Tyson cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks, Kai…" _Holy heck, I did _not_ just see him blush… _

"You're welcome."

"I think your lyrics are a ton better than my crap poems, though," Tyson said hastily, earning a frown from Kai.

"That's not true. Don't say that about your own work."

"Well, I just don't think I'm very good." Tyson squirmed slightly, feeling as if he had offended him in some way. Kai paused before shifting, drawing a leg up and sitting comfortably with his arm placed on the back of the couch. He rested his head against his knuckles and gave Tyson a ponderous look.

"I didn't think I was very good, either. When I was young, I started taking piano lessons because I had an interest in music, but I kind of… sucked."

"You? You're kidding! Well, I've only heard you on the guitar, but still, I'm sure you're great on the piano, too," Tyson said confidently.

"Thanks. But I really did suck when I first started out."

"Who doesn't? Rome wasn't built in a day, you know."

"It took me three years to master the basics." Kai smiled at Tyson's incredulous look.

"Three years?"

"Yep. You must think I'm slow or something."

"No, not at all," Tyson sputtered. "But… three _years?"_

"I told you, I sucked. And then when I started singing, my teacher said I was tone-deaf."

Tyson found himself laughing at him. On the inside, he was ecstatic that Kai was telling him all this. "I bet he was shocked when your CD was released."

Kai chuckled. "You could say that. But my point is, don't say your stuff is crap. If I had quit because I thought I was horrible, I would have never accomplished anything."

"Yeah, I know you're right, but…"

"But nothing. Your poem was great. Say otherwise and I'll dump this cheese on your head."

"You're very persuasive, you know that?" Tyson gave him a coquettish smile, his eyes twinkling. Kai returned the gesture and looked a little amused when Tyson blushed embarrassedly and stood up in a flourish.

"Hey, uh, you wanna… watch a movie or something?" he asked, looking around hurriedly in an attempt to conceal his sudden shyness. Kai agreed in an easy manner, relaxing on the sofa while Tyson knelt in front of the television set, opening the small cabinet and running a finger along his extensive collection of DVDs. He pulled out a few thoughtfully.

"Okay, let's see. Three choices."

"You're holding Finding Nemo in your hands," Kai said from across the room.

"Yeah, that's choice B. Choice A is Pirates Of The Caribbean and choice—"

"Choice B, please. If that's okay with you."

"Nemo fan, huh?"

"That little fishie is hardcore."

Tyson snickered and opened the box, slipping it into the DVD player and snagging the remote before tossing it to Kai. "Hold that. I'll go make some popcorn."

Five minutes later, Tyson returned with a fresh bowl of steaming, buttery popcorn, which he placed right between them after plopping down on the couch again. Kai took a deep appreciative breath and tossed a handful into his mouth.

"More salt and grease for you," Tyson said with a smile. _Why did I put this damn bowl right between us? I'm such an idiot! If I move it now, it'll look way too obvious. Crud. _

"Mm. Food of the gods." Kai flipped the remote into Tyson's lap and proceeded to munch away as Tyson started the movie. Tyson leaned over and dimmed the lamp, then settled back to watch, absently reaching into the bowl. Kai gazed at the screen with interest—this was one of his favorite movies.

As he always did, Tyson sniffled sadly when Coral was killed and Nemo's father was left alone with only one egg. Kai reached over and patted his knee. Later on when the jellyfish stung Dory, Tyson hugged a pillow and stared at the screen with wide eyes. Kai tilted his head, equally amused at Tyson as he was with the movie.

"YEAH! GO NEMO!" Tyson yelled when all the fish were working together to pull the net down. The pillow he was previously hugging got thrown in Kai's face, and Tyson gasped in horror. "Oh my God. Sorry, Kai!"

"It's okay," he said, brushing his bangs back with a small smile.

"I tend to get excited during the climax of the movie," he explained sheepishly. _Uhh… I said climax with Kai in the same room. Stop thinking dirty, Tyson._

"Well, it's just about to end so you might as well go wild."

Tyson flushed uncontrollably, thankful that the room was semi dark. _He doesn't mean it like _that_, you idiot! _

The movie ended soon after and as the credits began rolling across the screen, Kai let out a yawn and stretched. Tyson bounced up to replace the disc into its proper case, hoping his face was back to its normal color.

"Did you enjoy the movie?" he asked simply to be saying something.

"Yeah. That ending gets me every time."

Tyson chuckled and stood, turning to find Kai fiddling with his watch. He walked over and picked up the now empty popcorn bowl, stopping when Kai rose gracefully from his lounging position.

"It's already dark," he stated. Tyson glanced at the window.

"Wow, I didn't notice," he lied smoothly. He had been all too aware of the fact that he had been sharing a couch with a gorgeous rock star in a dimly lit room while night fell outside. Kai smiled at him.

"I had a good time today. Thanks for letting me tag along, Tyson," he said warmly. Tyson fought off another blush.

"It was my pleasure to have you. I'm glad you had fun."

Kai nodded good-naturedly and paused. "Well, I guess I should get going."

"Yeah, Michael's probably waiting for you to get back," Tyson said as they began walking to the hallway entrance. Kai hesitated at the door with a thoughtful expression on his face, looking as if he wanted to do something but was undecided as to whether to do it or not. He finally held out his hand, which Tyson bashfully took.

"I'll see you around, then," Kai said lightly. Tyson let go of his hand and held the door open.

"How're you gonna get back?"

"I'll call a cab. Goodnight, Tyson." Kai gave him a little salute before hopping down the steps and sauntering down the front walk, poking buttons on his cell phone.

"'Night, Kai!" Tyson called out, watching him as he disappeared into the darkness. He closed the door and stared at the glossy wood for a full minute, simply not believing that he had just spent the day with the extremely famous and extremely sexy Kai Hiwatari.

_He was in my house. He ate my food. We frickin' watched Finding Nemo together._

"OH MY GOD! My life fucking _rocks_!" he screamed at the empty walls, sprinting to the kitchen and picking up the phone on the wall to call Hilary and rave madly about his day.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Again, I'm sorry for the huge delay. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long! 


	6. Something More

I'm glad you guys are enjoying this! It's such a pleasure to write. :D Okay, here's the disclaimer for the rest of the fic. I never remember to add these things. XD I don't own Beyblade and I'm not making any money off of this. I don't own Finding Nemo, either. Or Clay Aiken. O.O _Last Song_ by Gackt also isn't mine. Oh yeah, and there's a bit of Rei/Mariah in this fic. Yay.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

* * *

The lights of the taxicab bounced off of the buildings prominently in the darkness as it came to a stop at Kai's word. He paid the driver and quietly got out, making his way up the steps of the recording studio while instinctively glancing around for any late-night media stalkers that might be hanging nearby. Finding none, he unlocked the door with as little sound as possible, hoping to make it inside without anyone noticing to grill him about his day.

He cracked the door open and relaxed a bit when nothing happened. Before he could open it all the way, however, someone did the job for him and he found himself face to face with his peevish manager. Michael's cyan-colored eyes seemed to shoot sparks as he glared at him with all the intensity of the sun. Kai recovered his composure quickly and wondered how mad Michael would get if he shot him a winning smile.

"Well, hello there, Kai. How nice of you to finally show up," Michael ground out, moving aside to let the young singer in. Kai shrugged lightly and spotted Tala lounging around in a pair of silk pajamas, flipping through a magazine.

"How was your day with Tyson?" the redhead asked with a wink. Before Kai could answer, Michael interrupted.

"So, his name is Tyson, huh?" he pressed.

"I already told you his name was Tyson on the phone earlier," Kai pointed out. Michael frowned fiercely and Kai wisely shut up. His manager went on.

"Where were you all day?"

"We went to the carnival. Hey, Tala, look. I won a snow globe." Kai pulled out his prize and tossed it to his friend. Tala shook it up and watched the white flecks dance inside the glass sphere, his lavender eyes reflecting on the glossy surface.

"I won it at the booth where you try to knock down those glass bottles," he explained. Tala seemed to approve. Michael looked ready to rip someone's throat out.

"You weren't there all day," he stated. Kai shook his head.

"No, Tyson invited me to his house afterwards. We watched a movie and I tasted his baking."

"You _what? _You didn't even _know_ this guy, yet you _waltzed_ into his house, _watched_ a movie with him and _ate_ something that _he_ cooked! It could have been poisoned!"

"I do know him. We met after the concert yesterday—he was one of the backstage visitors. You remember the one that crashed into me? The one that got lost with that girl."

"That doesn't count as _knowing_ someone! You met him once."

"What movie did you watch?" Tala asked, setting the snow globe down on the table beside the couch.

"Finding Nemo."

"What? You guys are a pair of losers," Tala scoffed. "Who wants to watch an hour and a half about a bunch of fish? Be a man, Kai."

Kai looked offended. "I like Nemo."

"I bet you like Clay Aiken, too."

"The man can _sing_."

"Guys? Can we get back to the more important matters at hand?" Michael asked, annoyed. Kai huffed and crossed his arms.

"I'm fine, Michael. Nothing happened. I promise I won't run off when I'm supposed to be at an important photo shoot again."

"How about I won't run off _ever_ again?"

"Erm…"

"What did he bake?" Tala asked distractedly, turning the magazine upside-down and squinting at one of the pages.

"Cookies. Chocolate chip."

"Ooh. Nice."

"What else did you eat?" Michael demanded. "I'm telling Spencer to give you a double workout tomorrow morning."

"I'm probably gonna need it. Let's see…" Kai began ticking off with his fingers. "At the carnival we had candied apples and ice cream… and I can't remember if we ate cotton candy or not, but anyway, at his place I had those chocolate chip cookies, and while we talked we had nachos and cheese dip… and during the movie we ate popcorn. Oh, and before all that, we went out for breakfast. Bacon, eggs, toast, you know, a normal breakfast."

Michael ground his teeth together. "I'm assuming you didn't give a flying flip as to how many calories all that was."

"Oh. No," Kai said, the thought just now occurring to him. Michael heaved a sigh, dragging a hand down his face.

"Kai, Kai, Kai. What am I going to do with you?" he muttered to no one in particular. "You're so talented, but so…"

"Stupid?" Tala supplied. Kai swore and threw a couch pillow at him. Michael began ignoring them when Tala chucked his magazine at Kai's head, and just as Kai was threatening to shove his snow globe down his friend's throat, Emily walked in. She pushed her glasses up and gave them a look.

"Can you two act your age?" she asked, amusement lacing her voice. "Nice to see you back, Kai. Did you have a good day?"

"Uh-huh." He pushed Tala back onto the couch and gave him a triumphant smirk. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight." She smiled as he disappeared down the hallway with Tala trailing at his heels, then looked at Michael. "Why do you always look so stressed out?"

"Kai is stressful," he said, massaging his temples. She rolled her eyes.

"Right."

"He is. I worry about his safety. You know he just went off and spent the day with a guy he doesn't even know? Think of what could have happened."

"Oh, please. Tala told me about that kid. His name is Tyson, right? Yeah. I did a little check on him earlier. He's a couple months _younger_ than Kai, he's going to graduate from high school soon, he doesn't have a record, and his bills go to his grandfather. Sounds to me like he's a totally harmless guy."

"That's what he _wants_ you to think."

"Oh. My. God. You are _so_ paranoid. You should be happy that Kai got out and made a friend! Well… maybe next time you should tell him not to run off like that, but still. Kai seemed really happy."

"He's always happy when he's breaking the rules. Who isn't? He went out and stuffed himself like a pig, too. He'll be paying for that one later." Michael scowled.

"He's nineteen. What do you expect?"

"I expected the rebellious stage to be over by nineteen."

"He's not being rebellious, he's being human," Emily stated softly. Michael looked at her for a moment, then seemed to deflate.

"I know. You're kind of right."

"Kind of?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Okay, you _are_ right. I just want what's best for him, you know?"

"What's best for him is for you to try to make sure he's leading the most normal life possible, despite his fame. And I'd say you've been doing a pretty good job," she said with an encouraging smile. "As far as I know, Kai doesn't hate you and that's always a good thing."

Michael chucked lightly and Emily took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. After a moment, she yawned and gave him a rueful look.

"Sorry, but I think it's time for me to get home," she said. "We'll have to put this little chat on hold."

"Yeah, that's okay. Um… thanks, Emily."

"No problem. I'll always be here to knock some sense into you when you start pulling one of your possessed manager numbers." She grinned at him. Michael rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"'Night."

"Goodnight, Michael."

* * *

"I think it looks good _right_ here," Tala said with satisfaction in his voice, positioning the snow globe on the table beside Kai's bed. Kai was intently reading a slightly crumpled piece of notebook paper, and he looked up briefly from his position atop of his fluffy comforter.

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, what the hell. Stop friggin' ignoring me."

Kai looked up again. "I'm not."

"Let me see this," Tala said impatiently, snatching the paper away. He scanned it for a moment and Kai watched his face carefully.

"'Falling sadness transforms into pure white snow,'" he read aloud, skipping down the lines. "'I never want you to change… please hold me tight just once more.'"

"It's nice, huh?"

"Nice enough to know that _you_ didn't write it." Tala smiled sweetly at Kai's dirty look.

"Tyson wrote it."

"That kid wrote this? Huh. Weird."

"He's _good_."

"Maybe you should get him to write your songs for you," Tala suggested in mock brightness. Kai gave him a sarcastic smile, pulling the paper away and folding it up before tossing it next to the alarm clock that he never used. He shifted and pulled the sheets up, leaning back lazily against the headboard of his bed.

"So, what did you do all day?" Kai asked, absently tugging at a lock of his bangs. Tala sniffed.

"All _my_ energy went into avoiding Michael while you were prancing around like a stupid pony with your new friend," he said irritably.

"Are you jealous?" The barest hint of a smirk graced Kai's lips.

"Jealous? Over you?" Tala sputtered. "What is there to be jealous over? You're… you're _Kai!_ I wouldn't even _think_ about dating you!"

"I never said anything about dating," Kai said with a contemplative glare, then demanded, "And why _wouldn't_ you date me?"

"Because you're a dimwitted drama queen."

Kai glowered at him.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. It's because… I don't know, I've known you for a long time. I can't see myself making out with you or like… throwing you in bed and… you know. Actually, I can't really picture _anyone_ throwing you in bed…"

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

Kai frowned again. "What's wrong with me?"

With a devilish smirk, Tala immediately jumped on his vulnerability. "What's wrong with me?" he mimicked. "You sound like an insecure high school _girl_."

"Go to hell," Kai muttered moodily.

"You want me to leave so you can sulk in peace?"

Kai crossed his arms, a slight pout on his lips. "Why can't you see me in a relationship?"

"Uh…" Tala studied the ceiling for a minute as he thought. "Well, you're just… okay. Let's see. Do you prefer top or bottom?"

"How should I know?"

Tala let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "You are hopeless."

"I've never placed myself in that situation before," Kai said delicately.

"Just say it this way—you've never had sex before."

Kai glared at him before slipping down under the covers, making a point of turning so that he wasn't facing his friend. "Goodnight."

"There's no shame in being a virgin," Tala said positively. "Where you lack in sex drive, you make up for in looks and talent, anyway."

Kai sat up. "I'll have you know that I have a very powerful sex drive," he said hotly, jabbing a finger in his face. Tala stood and headed for the door.

"Whatever," he called out, turning off the lights. Kai scowled fiercely at the darkness before lying back down. After a few moments of fuming, he relaxed and let his mind wander back to his day spent with the chipper Tyson. He had been at such ease with him and more than once, he'd completely forgotten about his fame and felt just like the next guy, which was saying a lot. Kai wasn't distracted easily, but there was something about Tyson that just made him want _more_.

* * *

"Thank you, _thank_ you! I promise, he'll be there this time. There was just a slight problem with his schedule, but that's all fixed now. Thank you again," Michael said genuinely before snapping his phone shut, a grin spreading across his face. "We got it, Emily!"

"Ah, perfect," she said, giving him a warm smile. "See? I told you you could talk your way into these things. _They_ want Kai—that means we have them at _our_ mercy."

"What a nice way to put it." Michael leaned back in his chair and stretched as Mariah walked in, all glitz and glamour and holding a tube of lipstick. She tossed her long hair over her shoulder and placed a hand on her hips.

"Well?"

"The photo shoot's been rescheduled." Michael gave her thumbs up as she smiled.

"Wonderful! And I thought those outfits I'd picked out for Kai were going to have to go to waste since he pulled that disappearing act yesterday. Speaking of which, where is he?" She glanced around and Michael smirked in response.

"He's with Spencer. Special workout this morning." He took a look at his watch. "It's almost eight. He should be done right about…"

As if on cue, Kai stormed in with a vicious scowl on his face, contorting his good looks. He rested his glare on Michael, his chest heaving with exertion.

"You! You told Spencer to drag me out of bed at five o'clock in the morning for a _four-hour_ session, didn't you?" he accused, pointing an angry finger at his manager. Michael shrugged lightly.

"You needed to burn off those calories from yesterday."

"He nearly killed me!"

"Oh, stop it." Michael waved a hand in dismissal. Spencer came in with a grin, slapping Kai heartily on the back. Kai, weak from his workout, nearly lost his balance and fell on his face.

"Don't you feel refreshed?" the burly blonde asked. "There's nothing like starting the day with exercise."

"No, I actually feel quite the opposite," Kai snapped.

"You people," Mariah said scrupulously, going to stand beside the young singer. "Do you get your kicks out of torturing this boy? Five in the morning! He needs his rest or else he'll get bags under his eyes." She reached up and began fussing with his bangs. Kai crossed his arms in a huff, giving them a you-should-listen-to-her look. Michael snorted.

"Right. Then maybe you shouldn't stay up all night talking to Tala," he retorted. Kai threw him a resentful glower.

"I quit," he muttered.

"Like I don't hear that fifty times a day." Michael turned around in his chair and glanced at the door leading to the lobby just as Rei sauntered in, followed by Oliver and Enrique.

"Hey, Kai, what's up?" the raven-haired drummer greeted whilst giving Mariah a suggestive wink. She grinned in mock timidity.

"Your singer just quit the band," Michael announced. Rei raised his eyebrows.

"Again?"

"Don't sound so upset," Kai said sarcastically.

"Oh, Rei's just happy because he got to spend the entire day with Mariah yesterday," Oliver stated, reaching up and gracefully adjusting his black beret at a jaunty angle. It had a large, fluffy blue feather stuck on one side. The young Frenchman looked Kai up and down, a small frown forming on his face.

"You look like you've just been through the worst of hells," he observed.

"I have." Kai pushed his damp bangs out of his eyes and announced primly, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Have fun. Don't take too long and _don't_ drop your phone in the toilet again!" Michael called out to his retreating back. Emily stifled a laugh and cleared her throat.

"On today's agenda," she began, lightly adjusting her glasses. "We have a short practice session and later on in the afternoon, you guys are going to pick up where you left off recording for our next CD."

"I say we take the day off again," Rei suggested.

"Not a bad idea," Mariah agreed, her eyes twinkling. Michael gave the pair a look of disgust.

"No. We're behind enough as it is."

"Well, _we_ were here yesterday," Rei stated.

"And I'm grateful to you for that, but without Kai, you guys are kind of stuck."

"Huh. Way to make _us_ feel needed," Oliver said sourly, crossing his arms. Enrique patted his arm soothingly as Rei shrugged, turning his attention back to Mariah.

* * *

"Hilary, _please! _I gotta vent this energy or else I'll explode or something!" Tyson pleaded to his friend, who was currently sitting with her legs crossed on his couch, flipping through a magazine she had picked up from his table. "I've been holding it in all day!"

"This is garbage," she stated distastefully. "It's all Kai stuff."

Tyson momentarily stopped his whining and spoke like a normal human. "Well, yeah. He's on the cover. Why do you think I got it?"

She rolled her eyes, heaving a sigh. "You are _obsessed_ with him."

"I know! And he's so great," Tyson said dreamily, flopping down on the couch next to her. "Please, please, please can I rant about my day with him?"

After a heavy pause, she conceded. Tyson had been begging her to listen to him all day, and now that it was late in the evening, she decided that maybe she should give him a chance. "Fine. Go ahead. I have nothing better to do at the moment than hear what you two freaks did all day."

"Yay! Okay, it was so amazing. He is seriously, like, the coolest guy on the planet. You were totally wrong about him. He's not stuck-up or conceited or mean or anything. He was so nice to me and he even wore my hat!" Tyson pulled his ever-present baseball cap off and caressed it against his cheek. "His hair smells so good…"

"My God. My best friend has gone mental over a rock star. Why couldn't you have picked say, someone who _doesn't_ have his face plastered on everything?"

"But, Hil, he's completely different from the stereotypical rock star. He's nice. I mean, he can whine a lot, I guess, but I think it's so cool that he thinks I'm special enough to complain to!"

Hilary gave him an incredulous look. "Are you listening to yourself?"

Tyson didn't seem to hear her, and launched into a lengthy but interesting account of his day with Kai, starting with sneaking to the photo shoot and ending with Kai leaving his house.

"He's a _Nemo_ fan?" Hilary asked, arching a fine brow.

"Yeah!"

"And an obvious pig, too. How many times did you guys stop to eat?"

Tyson frowned at her. "Don't insult his eating habits. He doesn't get to eat normal food regularly, so he says. But, oh my God! He _liked_ my cookies. The ones that _I_ made myself."

"Your cooking is really good. I could have told you that."

"But coming from a dead sexy rock star! Can you believe it?"

"Tyson, you really have to bring it down a couple hundred notches. Chill out."

"Don't spoil my fun. That's a day that I'm never gonna forget."

Hilary made a disgusted noise, rolling her eyes. Tyson really did get too hyped up over certain things, but that was one trait that she loved about her friend. Things were never boring when Tyson was around, even if he was currently gushing over someone whom, in her opinion, was extremely overrated.

"Oh, did I tell you? He read a poem that I wrote… I left it sitting on the table over there." A small blush came to his cheeks as he recalled the memory. "He really liked it. He also told me to stop bashing my own work, but that's beside the point. He said _I_ had talent!"

"You _do_ have talent," Hilary pointed out.

"Yeah, thanks, but come on. He writes his own lyrics and stuff… _and_ he's famous. Do you realize how monumental it is that he said that _I_ had talent?"

"Uh-huh," she droned. "Since Kai's word is right up there with God's."

Tyson snickered slightly. "I didn't say that… but he comes pretty damn close."

"Tyson! That's it, he's taken over your mind. Get out."

"Get out? This is _my_ house!"

"I don't care. I'm kicking you out unless you stop being weird."

"I'm not being weird!"

"Okay, stop being obsessed."

Tyson leaned back with a dopey smile on his face, closing his eyes and sighing contentedly. "I'm gonna tell my grandkids all about this one day. I can't help it, Hil, I'm still kind of in shock that I actually got to meet him and stuff. He was actually _in_ my house. You think he'll remember me later on?"

"Maybe, but really, Tyson. He's a rock star. A _famous_ person. Let's be realistic, now. You might never get the chance to speak to him again."

"Yeah, I know," Tyson said. "But it was fun while it lasted… and I can still buy all his stuff!"

Hilary smiled at her friend, taking on a sarcastic tone. "Yes, Tyson. You can still buy all his stuff and be a hardcore fan of his. I'll find some way to survive."

"I knew you'd understand." Tyson puckered his lips and blew her an exaggerated kiss. She stood up and stretched, covering her mouth as she yawned.

"It's late. I'm heading out now."

"Oh, okay." Tyson stood as well and followed her to the door. Hilary opened it and pushed the screen door out of her way, taking a deep breath of the fresh night air.

"See you later, lover boy."

"You're just jealous because Kai didn't spend the day with _you_." Tyson grinned at her. Hilary snorted and trotted down the steps to her car. Tyson bid her goodnight before closing the door, walking back to the living room to clean up the mess they'd made on the table. He picked up an empty bag of potato chips and stuffed it full with the smaller plastic wrappings lying around, then balanced their cups in the other hand as he made his way to the kitchen. He dumped the bag in the trash and placed the glasses in the sink, deciding to clean the place properly tomorrow morning, after a good night's sleep.

He went to go turn off the lights in the living room when the doorbell rang. He paused and went to answer it, thinking it was Hilary coming back to pick up something she'd left by accident. He pulled the door open and was about to greet her loudly when he saw who it was.

Kai.

Tyson gaped for a moment, fearful that his heart might stop. Shocked would have been an understatement. He quickly composed himself and opened the screen door, hoping his voice didn't sound squeaky and excited. _Ohmigod what is he _doing_ here? Kai's at my door!_

"Kai, what's up?" he asked casually, realizing that he wouldn't be surprised if Kai heard his heart hammering in his chest. Tyson gazed at his face that was free of any makeup or jewelry, and found him even more enticing than usual. The young singer smiled at him faintly.

"Hey, Tyson."

"Hi!" He smiled brightly. There was a short pause before Tyson asked, "Would you like to come in?"

"Uh… I can't." Kai gestured with his eyes at the waiting taxicab at the end of Tyson's driveway. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, okay. Well, shoot," Tyson said, looking into Kai's wine-colored depths. He was sure that, despite Kai's confident demeanor, there was an underlying timidity in his words. Kai cleared his throat, and at his next words, Tyson was shocked that his heart hadn't stopped functioning for real.

"Are you busy tomorrow night?"

"Holyfreakin'shit," Tyson murmured under his breath. Kai blinked and Tyson nearly jumped for joy as he caught a flash of disappointment run across his face.

"If you are, I could just… go," Kai said uncertainly, not quite sure what to make of Tyson's response.

"No! I mean… you don't have to go. I'm not busy," Tyson said hastily. The last thing he wanted to do was screw up his one chance to spend more time with Kai.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

Kai paused again, then seemed to relax. "Well, in that case, would you possibly be able to join me for dinner tomorrow night?"

"I… I'd love to," Tyson managed to say, his mind working overtime. "You'd really… _want_ me to have dinner with you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Kai asked, looking a little confused. Tyson was about to dismiss it as stupidity, but felt compelled to inquire further.

"Well… I kind of thought that famous people only hung out with… other famous people," he said sheepishly, then felt his insides melt when he watched Kai's lips form a small "o."

"Maybe they do, I don't know. I'll ask Michael if I'm breaking some kind of famous people rule or something." Kai shrugged. Tyson laughed lightly.

"I hope you aren't. Did you get in a lot of trouble for yesterday?"

"Ah…" Kai decided to push the four-hour workout out of his mind. "Not really."

"That's good." Tyson took a deep breath as Kai glanced back at the waiting taxi. _I can't believe this. I absolutely cannot believe this. I need to call Hilary! _

"I should get going now, but before I forget…" Kai pulled a small scrap of paper from his pocket and held it out to Tyson. "If there's a problem, just call me."

Tyson took the paper from him, his tanned fingers brushing against Kai's pale ones. "This is your…"

"Cell number. The one that only a few people have. You should be able to reach me anytime with that. Michael will probably be mad that I'm giving it out so freely, but I trust you, Tyson."

Tyson's heart skipped a beat. _It's been one day and he already trusts me. Oh my God, YAY! But I'm glad it's me he's giving it to… someone like him probably shouldn't trust people so easily. _

"I'm _honored_. Thanks, Kai. I promise, it's safe with me." Tyson gave him a genuine smile. Kai looked happy as he turned to go, trotting lightly down the steps and to the open door of the cab. He gave Tyson a little wave after he got in and closed the door when Tyson waved back.

"Thank you!" he called out, not sure if Kai was even able to hear him. He found himself grinning from ear to ear as he watched the cab pull away and disappear down the street. His hand still clutched the slip of paper with Kai's number written on it. Taking a deep breath, Tyson went inside and closed the door, resolving not to scream out at the walls as he had done the previous night. He needed someone to talk to.

Picking up the phone in the kitchen, he dialed a familiar number and counted two rings before a female voice answered.

"Hello?"

"_Hilary_!" he shrieked. "You'll _never_ guess who was just at my door!"

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Thank you for reading. :D Please leave a review and tell me what you thought! I know Kai's terribly OOC… Tala, too. Uh… yeah. Excuse that. 


	7. The Start Of A Good Thing

Thank you all! Your comments make me want to update right away, but school and life in general always get in the way. Tomorrow's my last day, though, so maybe I can start updating more regularly now. Oh, and I'm really glad that so many people like the way Kai and Tala are. :D I was worried because they're so terribly OOC.

Anyway, that poem that Tyson wrote was not written by me. It's actually the translation of a song by Gackt. _Last Song_, to be exact. Seeing as is actually deciding to enforce the whole "no song lyrics" rule, I'm probably not going to use it, though. So, beware my poor attempt at songwriting in chapters to come! Muahua. They'll probably be heavily influenced by Gackt's _Last Song_, though… o.o;; I won't exactly _copy_ it, per say…

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

At the crack of dawn the next morning, Tyson was up and zipping about his house, quickly showering and throwing some clothes on before going downstairs and contemplating what to make for breakfast. He decided on blueberry pancakes and spent the next hour making the batter, cooking them, and drowning the thin cakes in syrup as he ate. Next, he downed a glass of milk and carefully placed a stack of pancakes in a plastic container, then sprinted out the door.

A few minutes later, he was repeatedly ringing the doorbell of Hilary's house, almost dancing on his toes as he waited for her to answer. After a moment, he stopped and knocked loudly, then continued with the doorbell. _Maybe she's still asleep… _

The door was yanked open and he was greeted by a furious looking Hilary, still clad in her sleeping clothes, which today consisted of a light green tank top and silken pants. Tyson gave her a grin.

"'Morning, Hil!"

She gave him a simmering look. "You woke me," she stated flatly.

"Oh. Sorry. I needed to talk to you, though. You hung up on me last night!"

"Because you wouldn't stop talking about Kai. I'm starting to _hate_ him." Hilary moved aside to let Tyson in with a glower. Her friend smiled at her sheepishly and held out the warm container.

"I made fresh pancakes this morning. Blueberry," he said ruefully, giving her a slight bow. Her look softened fractionally.

"Hmm. I guess I could forgive you, then…" She took the Tupperware from his hands and padded to the kitchen, opening the lid and breathing in the delicious scent of the warm pastries. Tyson bounced after her.

"You like 'em?"

"I always like your cooking." Hilary left them on the counter and stretched, stifling a yawn. "Why are you up so early? Your date's not until tonight."

"I know, but… I don't have anything to wear."

She rolled her eyes. "So you came to me? Well, I do have this little black dress that might look good on you…"

"I'm not quite sure what Kai would make of that," Tyson said ponderingly. Hilary raised an eyebrow.

"Please don't tell me you're actually _considering_ it."

"Of course not! I'm just joking, Hilary. I'm all man."

She coughed and decided not to comment on his last statement. "Anyway. Where are you two planning to go?"

"He said dinner, but I don't know where."

"Well, you only went on for like, half an hour about how excited you were that he gave you his number last night," she said sarcastically. "Why don't you call him and ask?"

"No way! It's too early in the morning," Tyson stated. Hilary paused before a slightly devilish look came upon her attractive features.

"You're chicken," she said smugly.

"I am n—" Tyson cut himself off, frowning. "Well, wouldn't you be a little hesitant to ring up someone like him? Come on, he's famous."

"So you _are_ chicken."

"I'm not chicken," Tyson said hotly. "I'm just… shy."

"Oh, please. You know you want to bang him hard."

"ARGH! _Hilary_!" Tyson covered his ears and ran out of the room, blushing madly. Hilary tittered girlishly and trailed after him in an unhurried manner.

"Sorry, sorry." She crossed her arms and looked down at her friend who had rooted himself to the couch with a huge scowl on his face. "Jeez, I didn't know you'd go into sulk-mode over this."

"I'm not sulking. And I changed my mind. I don't want to go on a date with Kai."

"That has got to be the biggest _lie_ I've ever heard."

"No, seriously," Tyson said, sitting up straight and pulling Hilary down on the couch next to him. He pursed his lips thoughtfully, a small frown creasing his forehead. "What am I thinking? This guy is rich, famous, sexy, talented—I could go on forever. I'm nobody. Why would he ever have any interest in me? If I go out with him, I'll have all these false hopes that he might actually like me when in reality, that's impossible."

"What are you talking about? He's obviously got _some_ kind of interest in you or else he would not have gone through the trouble of coming to your house to personally invite you to dinner with him," Hilary pointed out.

"Yeah, but… we'd never get together or anything. This is real life, Hil, not a fairy tale. Rock stars don't date… regular people."

"Britney Spears married that nobody." Hilary nodded and arched a brow at him.

"Kai's not anything like Britney!"

"Well, when you think about it…"

"No! No thinking about it," Tyson said defensively. Hilary rolled her eyes.

"Really, Tyson. You know you want to go out with him tonight."

"Yeah…"

"You're just feeling a little bit insecure that he has fame and fortune and you don't."

Tyson's scowl returned. "Yeah… not helping."

"Let's go shopping."

"What? How is that gonna help anything?"

"Tyson, shopping is the answer to almost _everything_. Buying something nice for yourself is a quick remedy for your troubles. I guarantee you you'll feel much better with a little something special to wear tonight," she said, looking at him as if it were common knowledge. He gave her a skeptical look.

"I dunno… I'm not really into that kind of girly junk."

"Please. You're as girly as they get." Hilary stood up and waved a hand dismissively.

"Hey! I resent that," Tyson said indignantly, standing as well.

"Well, someone's got to be the girl in your relationship and I don't think it's going to be Kai."

"And why not? He's prettier than me! I'm manly. Besides, we don't have a relationship."

"It's just a little something called woman's intuition. Let me go change and then we'll head out. I hope you brought a credit card or something." Hilary left the room and headed upstairs, leaving Tyson alone to ponder who would be the submissive one in a relationship with Kai. _If him and I ever did hook up, I'd definitely be on top. It's totally impossible, but so fun to think about. Kai's probably awesome in bed. Argh, I have no experience at all, though! I'm clumsy even when it comes to kissing. _

"Tyson, take my keys and go warm up my car!" Hilary yelled from upstairs. Tyson snapped out of his thoughts and went off in search of her purse.

Thirty minutes later, Hilary dragged a reluctant Tyson into a huge shopping mall, taking in the sights and smells of the busy center. People bustled everywhere, hurrying to get the best deals and the latest products. The low buzz of conversation filled the air. She smiled triumphantly.

"This is wonderful. There's just the right amount of people here today."

"Are you nuts? This place is packed. Let's go home."

"No. Half of the fun of shopping is the challenge." Hilary looped her arm into Tyson's and set off at a leisurely pace. "Let's see. Where should we go first? You said you wanted something to wear, right?"

"Yeah, but—oh my _God!"_ Tyson zipped away before she could so much as blink. Hilary stood dumbly for a moment, wondering where her scatterbrained friend had run off to, then spotted him bouncing excitedly before a display set up in front of a music store. She grumbled to herself as she walked over.

"Let me guess," she said in a monotonous tone. "It's Kai."

"He has a calendar out!" Tyson grabbed one and rubbed it lovingly against his cheek before flipping it over and looking at the pictures. He squeaked and pointed. "The one for July is him on the beach. Shirt halfway off!"

"Stop it, this is a public place," Hilary hissed, glancing left and right out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm so getting this." Tyson hugged it to his chest and trotted into the store. Hilary followed him as he stood in line with a dopey grin on his face.

"Now that you have something that you like, you have to give yourself over to me," she said. "You try one what I tell you to try on, got that?"

"Uh-huh," Tyson said absently, studying the calendar again. "Man, this is so awesome. Look at the October picture. He's wearing this sexy black outfit and he has little cat ears on his head."

Hilary glanced at it. "What a freak."

"He's not a freak! This is major creativity right here," Tyson said hotly. A few people gave them odd looks as Tyson turned his nose up at her, looking snooty. She sighed in resignation and patiently waited for him to purchase his calendar.

"Remember, Tyson, you gave me your word that you'd hand yourself over to me when we start looking for outfits."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Ew! There are schoolgirls hanging around him in the September picture," Tyson complained, frowning down in obvious jealousy. Hilary rolled her eyes.

"You know they were paid to do that, right?"

"Humph."

After paying for the calendar, Tyson allowed Hilary to drag him to a clothing store. He set his beloved prize down as she handed him a stack of clothes that seemed to have materialized out of nowhere. He started off willing enough, but as the day wore on…

"Oh my God… I'm sorry for every mean thing I have ever said to you," Tyson moaned, clapping his hands over his eyes as he plopped down on a small seat in the fitting room. "No more clothes!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Hilary said, ignoring his dramatics. "It's only been two hours."

"Two hours is enough. You're torturing me on purpose because I bug you about Kai all the time, aren't you?" he accused. She gave him an incredulous look.

"Okay, _you're_ the one that said you had nothing to wear."

"I'm so hungry. I'm gonna die!"

"Tyson, cut it out." Hilary held up a three-piece suit. "How do you like this?"

Tyson made a face. "Hilary, he's not taking me to go _ballroom_ dancing. That's way over the top."

"Well, give me some feedback then. What do you want to wear tonight?" She sat down next to him and gave him an expectant look. Tyson pursed his lips and thought for a moment.

"Something not _too_ flashy… but kind of dressed up. A notch above casual. I want to look nice."

"You want to look nice for your man, huh?"

"He's not my man!" Tyson punched her lightly on the shoulder. "Is it such a crime to want to look nice when someone's taking you out for dinner?"

"Well, when this somebody happens to be someone you have a _crush_ on…"

Tyson scowled, but didn't deny a word she said. "Kai's so awesome… I still can't believe that he asked me out."

"Believe it."

"I haven't dreamt this whole thing up, have I? Or maybe he didn't ask me out at all!" His eyes widened as he considered the possibility. Hilary arched a brow at him. "You know when you really like someone, like I do Kai? Sometimes you see the things that you _want_ to see and not what actually went on. Maybe I wanted him to ask me out so badly that I just heard what I wanted to hear! He could've been saying that he thought I was a dork and that my cooking sucked ass for all I know, and—"

"Tyson, you're talking crazy."

"And now I'm getting ready for a date that he didn't even ask me on! Why _would_ he when he hates my guts? What if he got sick off my cookies?"

"Tyson!" Hilary grasped him firmly by the shoulders, looking directly into his eyes. "Read my lips. _Shut up_."

"But—"

"No. Just be quiet and listen. Kai does not hate your guts. Kai did not get sick off of your cookies. He does not think your cooking sucks and he _did_ ask you out tonight. Now, let me tell you what we're going to do. We're going to get up and go to the jewelry store just down past a few shops, and you're going to look at the pretty things there and buy something for yourself. Do you understand?" She spoke slowly, as if speaking to a child.

"But—"

"I said _do you understand_?"

Tyson paused before nodding. He raised his hand slightly and she nodded at him.

"You may speak."

"Okay. Um… jewelry?"

Hilary's brow twitched slightly. "Yes, _jewelry_. Problem?"

"Er…" Tyson took in the dangerous light in her eyes. "No."

"Good." She smiled sweetly and took him by the arm, leading him out of the clothing store and into a jewelry shop. "I promise you, Tyson, this is going to make you feel a hundred percent better. Just look around and find something you like. It'll be a permanent reminder that your stupid little rock star boy did indeed ask you out tonight, and in a couple of years you can look back upon it and think, 'this is what I bought the day I went on a date with Kai Hiwatari.' You see?"

"Erm… this stuff is expensive."

"You can't put a price on happiness," she scolded. Tyson inched away from her and started wandering around the small store, stopping to glance at some earrings for a moment before moving to a glass counter with rings in them. He peered down, watching the light bounce off of the shiny little ornaments.

"See anything you like? Stop looking at the prices." Hilary hung over him, watching his every move. Tyson pursed his lips.

"They all look the same to me," he concluded. Hilary rolled her eyes.

"They do not."

"Hey, maybe I should buy something for Kai…"

"No, this is for _you_. Come on, Tyson, this is supposed to make you feel better. You can't feel inferior to that bast—to Kai. So what if he's famous? The only thing he has that you don't is his face plastered on everything."

"He can sing."

Hilary snorted. "You can sing… kind of."

"He's sexy."

"I think you're totally sexy."

Tyson raised his eyebrows. "He's rich?"

"You're not so bad off yourself."

"Well, if you put it _that_ way—"

"I'm not putting it any way. That's how it _is_. So what if he's a celebrity? You're smart, you're talented, you're funny, you're cute—you're an amazing guy and he'd be lucky to have you. Now stop feeling second-rate! You should be the dominant one here."

Tyson laughed. "Me? I don't know about that one…"

"Why not? At least _consider_ an equal relationship. It doesn't have to be _Kai's-my-master_ all the time."

"I never said that."

"But you're thinking it."

Tyson gave her a little look before moving away. A shine caught his eye, which he considered weird since _everything_ in the store was sparkling left and right, and he walked in that direction. He stared dumbly at another display when suddenly, he saw it. _It_ was a beautifully elegant bracelet made of silver and sapphires, dangling tantalizingly beside a girly pink and gold one of the same make. It was thin, gorgeous, and struck Tyson as a must have.

"That's just lovely," Hilary remarked. Tyson jumped slightly.

"You keep popping up all over the place, you know that?"

She ignored his comment. "You like it? I think it's really pretty."

Tyson took it and clasped it around his wrist with Hilary's help. He watched it sparkle in the light, a slow smile coming over his lips. "Yeah, I do like it."

"And how do you feel?"

He paused. "Pretty good…"

"I told you. Buying jewelry is the answer to everything. The only thing better than buying it is receiving it." She grinned. Tyson laughed and took it off. His spirits were feeling higher, and as absurd as it sounded, that little bracelet had given his confidence a boost. She snatched it away.

"I'll go make the purchase. Credit card, please?" She held out her hand expectantly.

"Wait. I didn't get to look at the price." Tyson reached for it, but Hilary kept it just out of his hands. He tried to snatch it back, an indignant frown on his lips. "You can't just _not_ tell me how much it costs!"

"I told you, you can't put a price on happiness."

"It's _that_ much? Hilaryyy!"

* * *

The rain started that afternoon and continued into the evening, on and off. Tyson hummed to himself in the kitchen, keeping busy by rearranging dishtowels, matching them by color and design. It was almost eight; Kai was due at his doorstep any minute now. Tyson smiled and hung a red towel with chickens on the oven, lovingly patting it before turning around and picking up a blue one with a coffeepot on it.

The doorbell rang and Tyson's heart skipped a beat. He smothered the idiotic grin that was making its way onto his face and took a deep breath, tossing the towel onto the counter and leaving the kitchen. He went to the door and paused to collect himself before opening it, feeling slightly euphoric. There stood the man of his current dreams.

"Hi, Kai," Tyson greeted cheerfully, pushing open the screen door and stepping aside. Kai was holding an umbrella and Tyson spotted a taxi waiting at the end of his driveway. "You want to come in for a minute?"

"No, thanks. You look great, Tyson," Kai said favorably. Tyson grinned.

"I'll just give it to you straight. My friend Hilary picked this entire outfit," he confessed. After she'd purchased the bracelet, Hilary had dragged Tyson back to the clothing department and forced him to try on more clothes. Another two hours, and she'd finally put together the winning outfit. This consisted of dark denims, a crisp, white, button-down shirt with thin, blue, horizontal lines (which he'd complained looked too preppy), and a slim, light jacket. Kai pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Hilary and Mariah might make fast friends," he commented. "Both so into fashion."

"Mariah's your fashion designer, right?"

"Right. She's good at what she does, but the thing with fashion designers is that they don't really care what the wearer thinks."

Tyson laughed. "You got that right." He peered out into the glistening night. "You wanna come in for a minute?"

"Well, if you're ready we could just go," Kai suggested. Tyson agreed easily and made sure he had his keys before locking the door and stepping underneath Kai's proffered umbrella. They got into the waiting taxi and settled into the backseat. Tyson absently twisted the bracelet around his wrist as the full realization of what was about to begin hit him.

_I'm on a date with Kai Hiwatari. All right, Tyson, you gotta play it cool. Don't be a dork. _

"Tyson, what kinds of food do you like?" Kai inquired. Tyson grinned widely.

"All kinds, and I mean that literally," he answered proudly. "As a matter of fact, I've eaten at every single restaurant in this town and given them my personal ratings."

Kai raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh, really?"

"Really. I can tell you which ones suck." He nodded sincerely.

"Okay… well, how about that Indian place?"

"I love Indian food!" Tyson said cheerfully. "But which one are you talking about? Maharaja's? Shaeba's Kitchen? Ra—"

"The one next to the tropical fish store," Kai cut in. "Does it get your seal of approval?"

"Oh, that's Shaeba's Kitchen. Yeah, that place is good." Tyson gave Kai a comic smile and winked. "I know the owner personally."

"Shaeba's Kitchen it is, then," Kai said, leaning forward and telling the driver where to go.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

I really didn't intend to end the chapter there, but it's been so long since I updated and I wanted to start a fresh, new chapter for their date. Feedback is appreciated! 


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